THE COURTSHIP OF THE SPARROW-HAWK
by Cassandrala
Summary: Kili and his new bride have found happiness quicker than most, but circumstances begin to come against them, such as an abusive father, a long-forgotten seductress, and the diplomacy of the court interfering with the legalities of their marriage. But even the small sparrow-hawk is a ferocious predator, and Eila is willing to protect her husband with her life! Kili/OC Fili/OC
1. Chapter 1 - First Meetings

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_**THE COURSTHIP OF THE SPARROW-HAWK**_

_**Chapter 1 – First Meetings**_

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_Author's note: This story is written for megan98, based on a prompt she sent me in a message, requesting a story for a romantic pairing between Kili and someone other than Tauriel. I absolutely adore story prompts, so if you enjoy this and you have an idea for another story, please don't hesitate to send me a message and we'll see what we can cook up together. It can be as simple a prompt as: "A romantic story about Kili and someone other than Tauriel, with dark brown hair, and an outgoing personality" or as detailed as you'd like. With that said, thank you megan98- this is for you!_

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"_**Under Giant Trees" Agnes Obel**_

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Eila paced the floor of the bedchamber—she knew it wouldn't calm her nerves, but at least it gave her something to do. Only a few moments ago she had been given away in marriage to a dwarf Prince she'd never met until that day. And while he wasn't hard on the eyes, she had no idea what his temperament might be. The new Princess only knew what her childhood friend, Queen Nur, had told her—and even _that_ wasn't much.

She resumed pacing the floor and ran a hand over her dark-brown braided hair, nervously waiting for what came next, but remembered that she was expected to do it none-the-less.

The click of a closing door startled her, having opened so softly and quietly that she hadn't noticed, and she whirled to come face to face with the dark-haired dwarf she'd become married to only hours ago.

"Hello," Prince Kili said with a kindly smile, nodding at her as he stood with his back against the door.

"My lord," she curtseyed low.

"You don't need to do that," he chuckled. "Before we retook the mountain, I was no one's 'lord'. I don't think I'll ever be used to it." Kili took a step forward. "I'd much prefer we used each other's names."

"As you wish, Prince Kili." She nodded in slight confusion.

He rolled his eyes at the title and shook his head. "So… that was quite a party."

"That's an understatement." Eila laughed, but then caught hold of herself and cleared her throat, remembering her manners.

Kili looked her up and down and seemed to understand that she was tense. "Eila, I hope you don't think I expect us to do what everyone else thinks we'll be doing tonight."

That brought her up short. "You don't… why not?"

He looked at her as though she'd grown a second head. "Because we barely know each other. I'm not going to treat you like some tavern wench at my beck and call."

She frowned. "If that's what you desire, I can accommodate—"

"What?" He shook his head at her. "No—just, no. That's not what I'm looking for in a partner."

"I thought that was the point of taking a wife." She cocked her head sideways at him, sitting down on the edge of the enormous bed. This had to be the most absurd conversation a newly wedded couple had ever had.

Kili narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm sure you're joking. There's more to it than just… that." When she looked at him with a puzzled expression, his jaw dropped. "You came into this with the expectation that—whether I was a tyrant or not—you were going to submit to it anyway?"

Eila couldn't determine whether he was disgusted or offended. "Well… yes."

Shaking his head, he took in and blew out a slow breath, staring at the wall until he seemed to regain his senses. And in something akin to a growl, he said, "You couldn't be more wrong."

Eila gasped when Kili suddenly took her hand in a forceful action, raising her to her feet.

"That's the furthest thing from my mind right now." He said as he tugged her toward the wardrobe, flinging its doors open and searching for something. But before she could ask what he was looking for, he pulled out a thick shawl and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, seeing the anger in his face and hoping he didn't have a temper. "I didn't know what to expect…"

"For starters," He reached out gently to both of her shoulders with cautious hands. "If you're friends with Nur, as she claims you are, you can't believe she'd push to marry you off to someone who only wanted to have his way with you."

"It wouldn't be 'having your way with me', though," Eila said, startling herself with how much it sounded as though she were arguing for it—but she genuinely didn't want the prince to feel guilty about his own wedding night!

"Fine," Kili threw his hands up in frustration. "I have the _right_ to be impatient and take you here and now…" He put his hands on his hips with a sigh and lowered his voice. "But I don't have the inclination."

For a scant moment, Eila took the comment personally and wrapped the shawl tighter around her shoulders , taking a step away from him and ducking her head. He didn't want her?

"No," His hand flew to his forehead, realizing what he'd implied. "No, that's not what I meant—it's not that you're not desirable. You are! But…" He waved his hand as though he could make the misconstrued words fly away. "What I mean is that _this_—us— is for the rest of our lives and if we want to make it work right, I can't start it by imposing what I want on you." Kili looked at her earnestly. "The council might have chosen my bride for me, but that's where it stops—you and I have control over everything else."

She nodded, a flicker of hope burning to life inside of her. If he was telling the truth then they were already starting down the right road…

"I understand. And, thank you, but…did you…" She glanced down at the shawl. "Did you mean to send me away?"

Kili's eyes widened in horror, understanding how she might have seen the action. "No, no, no…" He crossed his arms and shifted his weight to one leg. "Er, so let's get one thing straight—if I say something and there's a good way to take it and a bad way to take it," He eyed her sympathetically, "I probably mean the good way…"

She couldn't help but roll her eyes and smile. Nur had been right in saying that Kili would keep her on her toes, but Eila hadn't thought it would be so evident right away…

"Right," He snapped his fingers, as if remembering his intentions. "To the roof."

"The roof?" Her eyes became wide. "What are we doing on the roof?" It also struck her as odd that there would be something on this mountain they considered a roof!

"Getting to know each other." He smiled at her, taking her hand and leading her through a door she hadn't seen. "Conducting our own interviews." She knew the comment was in jest, but the amount of interviews—or interrogations, as she'd considered them—Eila had endured before having signed the marriage petition had been harrowing.

"I won't say no to that." She grinned, secretly relishing the warmth of his hand around hers. She might have asked if he knew how to get there and if it would be too cold, but she told herself that if this was where Kili intended to take them, then obviously he knew how to get there. And the fact that he'd already grabbed a wool wrap for her shoulders made her heart warm to him—they might be strangers to each other, but he was already proving he was willing to take care of her…


	2. Chapter 2 - Interviews

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_**THE COURSTHIP OF THE SPARROW-HAWK**_

_**Chapter 2 – Interviews**_

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"_**Wicked Game" James Vincent McMorrow**_

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As they sat against the stone ledge at a high point of the mountain, legs dangling over the edge, Eila watched Kili out of the corner of her eye. She was outright baffled by his courteous attentions to her.

"What do you like to do?" He smiled warmly at her while she looked up at the starlit sky.

Her eyes widened. What _did_ she like to do? "I'm not sure. It's been so long since I've been free to do as I wish…" She frowned, realizing it sounded like a complaint, and searched for the words to correct herself.

"Why is that?"

"Training for court life," Eila shrugged, hoping he wouldn't delve any further.

"And no time for a hobby?"

She shook her head. "I used to enjoy music and," she smiled as she began to remember, "painting. I loved to paint."

Kili's warm smile had turned into a concerned frown. "Nur said that your father was a strict dwarf, but I never imagined he'd have taken away your opportunities to do those things."

"He took away a lot of things," She allowed herself that small grumble now that she knew she wasn't being watched by her father or his servants. Unconsciously, she was scowling at her hands in her lap and only realized it when Kili reached out a hand to hers.

"I'll do nothing like that," Kili said, catching her eye with a reassuring expression. "Would you paint something for me?"

She let out a surprised huff. "I'm not sure you'd enjoy it, I'm not very good."

"I'll be the judge of that." Kili winked at her. "As for music, do you play or sing?"

"A little of both," Eila admitted with a blush, her legs swinging as she fought against her nerves.

"I play the fiddle," He nodded at her. "Maybe one day we'll accompany each other."

"You sound so optimistic about the future. It's infectious," She said with a hopeful smile before she realized the words had left her lips.

"Why shouldn't I be?" He grinned, reaching behind him for a pebble that he launched into the air. "You seem like a reasonable lass, and I hope you're not as scared of me as you were a few hours ago."

"No," Another blush crept to her cheeks. "If I'm allowed to say so, I find you very interesting."

"Why wouldn't that be allowed?" Kili nudged her with his elbow.

"I was warned against…" It was a relief to be alone with him—this dwarf she must now call her husband—and not under the scrutinizing eyes of those who would report her to her father. "Well, against speaking my mind. I was told you might not deal kindly with me for it."

The dwarf prince looked her up and down and shook his head. "I don't know who would have said something so ridiculous to you, but I assure you they were wrong." His jaw tensed and he seemed to be stewing over something, but she interrupted those deep thoughts with an assurance of her own.

"I feel very comfortable with you, Prince Kili. More comfortable than I have felt with anyone else. I only wish we could have had the chance to speak to each other before the wedding, but I'm glad that we are speaking now."

"That's the good part, I guess. We get to do things out of order: The courtship comes _after _the wedding."

"If I'm going to be honest," Her hand crept over to his and their fingers interlocked. "I never expected that you'd be so easy-going, let alone… gentle." She surprised even herself with her boldness. "You make me feel like we have more than _just a chance_ of a happy union."

When she tore her eyes from their hands and looked up into his smiling face, his eyes were twinkling and he looked… contented. She wasn't sure how else to describe it, but she knew that it would be no tragedy to want to make this dwarf feel comfortable for the rest of their days. And what's more, she was finally beginning to understand that he wanted the same for her.

If he was going to be this amiable all the time, she was very much in danger of losing her heart to him. The benefit of that, Eila mused, was that she would be allowed to give in to her attraction to him without shame—they were, after all, _expected_ to give in to such passions as a married couple!

"You look as though you're thinking up a storm," He grinned at her.

"Am I that easy to read?"

"Yes, thank Mahal." Kili blew out a sigh of relief. "Makes the job of the reader a little easier."

"I'm glad for that!" She said with enthusiasm. "I would hate to be one of those wives who keeps her husband guessing. I would prefer we were truthful with each other, as much as we can manage."

Kili seemed to be considering something and let go of her hand. "Even if it seems obvious? You would not be frustrated if I asked personal questions?"

She wanted very much to throw her hands into the air and shout, "Of course not!" but she took in his expression and knew that there was something deeper there than just being able to ask questions. Had he been reviled? Eila could only imagine the number of noble ladies who might have lined up to dance with him at feasts… had he cast his eye on one, only to have her reject him?

"Prince Kili, please look at me when I say this," she waited until their eyes met. "I don't say what I don't mean. I also say exactly what I'm thinking, and I only withhold my thoughts when I think they might be hurtful. I prefer silence over lies. Maybe it makes me look simple-minded to say something like that, but I try to be as plain as I can."

"I wouldn't call that simple-minded," Kili said with what sounded like a memory of something bitter. "I'd call that caring. That's all I want in a wife anyway."

So that was it. Kili had been burnt by his affections for someone else. Maybe he would never tell her about it, but she was certain Nur might know. Already she was nursing sympathy for her new husband and knew what he needed: Affirmation.

"I care about you," She said softly. As soon as she said it, she felt a sting of loyalty run through her, wanting to lash out at the person who had left him with such a heart-wound. "It would be hard not to, now that I see how kind and attentive you are. As well as handsome." Eila winked playfully at him. "And you can ask me whatever you like; I won't be cross with you for it, no matter how silly you think the question is."

Kili nodded and looked up at the stars a moment before returning his gaze to her face. "May I kiss you?"

She was silent a moment before nodding and was startled when he pressed his lips against her cheek, expecting that he would have chosen her lips instead. But it warmed her even more to him, knowing that he wasn't going to take advantage of his rights as a husband simply because he could. And it speeded her ability to trust him.

"Can I ask _you_ a personal question, my lord?" Eila asked in a voice so small that she wasn't certain he heard.

But he had, and Kili responded with a grin. "Anything you want, Eila."

"Why did you agree to marry me?" The query barely left her mouth before Kili's face took on a pensive frown. He looked to be thinking hard and his hands fidgeted in his lap. "Please," Eila pressed, "Don't tell me what you think I want to hear—I'd like to know the truth."

Kili nodded. "I guess the reason isn't so important now that we've married and now that you've proven you're not insane."

"You haven't known me long enough to determine that yet," She smirked, playing with a tassel on her shoulder-wrap.

"Well, the night isn't so young anymore and you haven't murdered me, so I'll consider it a good omen," He chuckled.

"I'm waiting for you to fall asleep."

"Ah, I see. Probably best since I could overpower you. But it wasn't wise to warn me beforehand because now I'll be on my guard. How will you compensate for that?"

"Well, even if you avoid sleeping, you'll have to eat or drink eventually—a good poison will have to do."

Kili burst into loud laughter. "I see you have this all figured out. And how will you escape when the guards determine that it was you who killed your own husband?"

Eila suddenly clicked her jaws together and looked away—as much as she enjoyed their humorous banter, she couldn't help but feel as though her father and tutors would disapprove of this conversation. If such a string of words had left her lips in the Iron Hills, she would have been punished immediately!

The dark-haired dwarf beside her seemed to sense her unease and fell silent himself, though he continued to smile, as if replaying their joking exchange in his mind.

"I'm sorry, my lord," She whispered, coming back to herself. "I shouldn't have spoken so."

"Don't apologize—I enjoyed that," He said earnestly. "And don't be so stiff. I think it's evident I'm not one for courtly manners."

Eila nodded, though she still felt like she was about to be reprimanded.

Kili leaned back, his hands on the ground behind him as he looked up at the sky. "You wanted to know why I agreed to such a sudden wedding. Fili's counselors were pleased when his own bride was so easy to find—He and Nur were childhood sweethearts after all. But _I_ was another story and they were pressing me to the breaking point. I'd been crossed in love before, so I really didn't care how things ended up. Nur was more concerned about it than I was and headed up the petitioning process."

"You say you were crossed in love…" Eila said with hesitancy.

Kili shrugged, but she could see that he was still hurt by whatever it was that had happened. "I was nearly engaged before I followed my uncle to retake the Lonely Mountain. However… just before we left, she decided that our errand was foolish and I was charging to my death. As an exiled Prince in the Blue Mountains, it would have been advantageous for her to marry one of Durin's sons, but to become engaged to someone who might lose his life, her chances of finding another would be hurt."

Kili scowled as he spoke and Eila instantly felt relief that such a lass had not agreed to marry him—someone so fickle and status-seeking did not deserve this kind and thoughtful dwarf!

"And then Fili heard her speaking to her friends about how ugly I was and he set things straight."

Though Eila had never seen Prince Kili before, she'd certainly _heard_ of King Fili—and his temper was renown. A delegate from one of the seven kingdoms had turned out to be an assassin in disguise when the new Kingdom of Erebor had been on its first legs, but that had turned out to be a mistake when it became known that the King was never—ever!—unarmed. And then there was the time someone had slighted his Queen, and he'd used his bare hands on that dwarf. Eila didn't really want to know what Fili had done to "set things straight" with the stuck-up lass Kili spoke of.

"She was wrong," Eila said adamantly, reaching for Kili's hand again and waiting for him to look at her. "I find you very attractive. And I'm happy that we have the rest of our lives for me to prove it to you."


	3. Chapter 3 - Attentive

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_**THE COURTSHIP OF THE SPARROW-HAWK**_

_**Chapter 3 - Attentive**_

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"_**Love Someone" Jason Mraz**_

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It had been four days since their conversation on the roof, but Eila no longer had any doubt that Kili had her best interests at heart. It was astonishing to her, really—aside from her mother, no one had ever treated her in such a way, as though her opinions mattered and her interests weren't foolish.

Kili had been incredibly busy with his royal duties, but he'd had enough time to send her various gifts throughout the day and had been adamant to spend time with her in the evenings. He'd turned it into something of a game: sitting in front of the fireplace asking questions until she was certain he knew everything about her.

Well, _almost_ everything. Eila was careful to guard specific parts of her history for fear of the questions that might follow, but Kili was no simpleton—he was aware that there were things she wouldn't tell him just yet, having remembered her saying that she preferred silence to lies, but he didn't press her for the information, much to her relief.

They would speak together late into the evening before parting for separate rooms, though Kili always looked as though he were waiting for an invitation to stay. And Eila was having trouble finding a reason not to give that invitation…

And while she had her own duties, it was hard to ignore the downpour of gifts that would greet her once she had returned to her chambers: Canvases and paints, elaborate easels and brushes, musical instruments of all shapes and sizes—as though Kili weren't sure what she would need, but had every intention of making available to her all that Erebor had at its disposal.

And then there were flowers.

In her heart of hearts, this was the gift that brought Eila the most pleasure. She could remember picking wildflowers with her mother as a young lass, thus the bouquets Kili had delivered to her only jogged the best of her childhood memories. Had it really been so long since she'd touched the pedals of a spring blossom? Yes, it had; her father had banned all sorts of color and beauty from their house…

In the afternoon on the fifth day, Eila passed Kili in the outer hall to their quarter of the royal chambers. He nodded to her with a grin and looked surprised when she caught his arm with her hand and flashed him a brilliant smile.

"Are you heading out or coming in?" She asked.

"I think that depends on your answer to the same question." He said with a curious expression.

"If you have things to do, don't let me keep you from them." She said, feeling her cheeks warming again. It was embarrassing that her primary response toward him was to blush.

"The Princess is more important to me than 'things'," Kili shrugged.

Eila shook her head, but couldn't help herself from smiling—it amused her that he would so easily shirk his responsibilities, something she would have been disciplined harshly for in the Iron Hills—and she looked at the ground. "I wanted to thank you for the flowers."

"Ah," He nodded. "Those weren't a gift, by the way."

She looked at him in confusion.

"They were a down-payment on that painting you promised me." He winked at her.

If it was his intention to overwhelm her with joy, then he was succeeding—she thought her heart might burst in her ribs! She was silent, not from lack of words, but an overabundance of words, and Kili seemed to sense her excitement and leaned in to kiss her.

This time when he went to kiss her cheek, she turned her head and caught his lips in hers. His eyes fluttered open in surprise, but then closed again when he understood it wasn't a mistake. Oh, Mahal, she had fully intended it…


	4. Chapter 4 - Vulgar

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_**THE COURSTHIP OF THE SPARROW-HAWK**_

_**Chapter 4 – Vulgar**_

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"_**Kiss me" Ed Sheeran**_

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Kili's warm mouth smoothed around hers and Eila could hear the intake of breath through his nose, inciting something sharp and fiery inside of her. And then his hands slid to her ribs and around her back so slowly she wasn't sure he'd ever get around to holding her, driving her need to explore this mysterious new pleasure of being close to him.

She continued to kiss him and nipped at his lower lip playfully, when her hands suddenly had a mind of their own and stroked along his jawline, scratching softly at the hairs of his beard. Kili's gasp in her mouth told her that it had affected him strongly and she felt his hands reach up to gently take her wrists—and lowering her hands from his face, he pulled away from her mouth with a grin.

"Not the beard. Not yet," he said breathlessly. "Not sure you can handle the reaction." He smirked.

"Maybe I can," Eila grinned with a raised eyebrow, taking a step back, but keeping one of her hands in his.

She had thought Kili would have answered with a playful grin of his own, but he fixed her with a serious expression as though assessing her honesty. "I'll leave that up to you."

"Thank you," Eila said appreciatively, though she felt like smacking herself—was this the only marriage in history that had started off with the wife begging the husband for their marital rights? Perhaps not, but it certainly wasn't common. "But remember: I mean what I say."

Kili swallowed and took in a tremulous breath. "Then say it so that I know what you mean."

She might have been affronted that he would ask her to name her desire so openly, but she understood that he only meant to ask for her permission. He'd been so careful in their time together, assuring her that nothing would happen between them until she was ready. And she knew without a doubt that the time was now.

Eila shut her eyes, wondering how on Middle-Earth she was going to summon words.

"You're frightened," Kili raised her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles before patting her hand and sighing. "We'll wait."

"No," She groaned in exasperation. "I'm not frightened of _you_, I—" Eila plucked up enough courage to look into his face. "I'm not frightened, I promise. But you just asked me to say it aloud and I'm not accustomed to voicing something so… well, my elders would call it vulgar."

"Vulgar, eh?" Kili grinned in mischief, obviously relieved that it wasn't _him_ she was hesitant about. "And what would _you_ call it, my lady dwarf?"

Oh, Mahal, how he saw through her. She'd had to work so carefully at guarding her personality from watching eyes, hiding it in the name of propriety—but this Prince would have none of that! And she loved him for it.

She couldn't stop herself from raising a brow and grinning deviously at him. "I might describe my lord as an untamed stallion, wild and free, and in need of the right rider."

A choking noise left Kili's mouth as he absorbed the innuendo and he sputtered a moment before speaking again. "Mahal…"

"Perhaps this isn't a conversation for hallways," She winked at him before taking his hand and leading him toward their chamber. He stumbled after her for a moment and then seemed to find his footing and threw a hand at the door to shut it behind them.

"I had no idea my lady could be so playful. If I had known and we had courted beforehand, there might have been trouble." Kili said before she silenced him with a kiss, pressing his back against the door with a thump. She could feel his hands resting on her shoulders and one of them began to drag her sleeve down with it, exposing her shoulder.

Oh, no, not that.

Before Eila could pull the sleeve up again, Kili had opened his eyes—probably to admire the exposed skin—and was staring at the fading bruise on her bicep.


	5. Chapter 5 - See You

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_**THE COURTSHIP OF THE SPARROW-HAWK**_

_**Chapter 5 – See You**_

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"_**Miss You" Trentemoller**_

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"What's this?" Kili frowned, sobering from his amorous haze.

When she didn't answer him immediately, he pulled the sleeve down again, fingers hovering over the bruise as he took in the shape of it.

"Eila," He turned his fierce eyes toward her nervous face. "That's a hand-mark on you. Who did this?"

Her lips pressed into a line and she shook her head, backing away from him as her heartbeat quickened painfully and her mind raced to find a plausible explanation.

_No_, she couldn't tell him the truth—her father would be furious and find some way to take it out on her.

_Yes_, she could be honest with him—Kili was her husband and promised that he'd defend her. But would he do so, even from her father?

"You said you prefer silence to lies." Kili said in anger. "And I can respect that, but please understand something." He stepped forward to take her trembling hand in his. "We're married, you belong to me—and I guard what's mine." It didn't occur to her to take offense to the words—he said it so lovingly that there was no hint of possessing her as an object. "We're one flesh now—this isn't just your bruise, it's a bruise on me as well."

She took in a steadying breath, fighting off the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes and cause her words to falter. "I want to tell you," she mumbled. "But I'm afraid of what he'll do—"

"You're under my protection now, and Fili's," Kili looked as though he wanted to hold her, but kept his distance. "Tell me," he repeated, "who did this."

"My…" she choked on the words. "My father."

"Lord Morbruk?" Kili's eyes widened. "Why?"

"Said…" Eila clamped her eyes shut, dizzy from the sensation of letting out what she'd hidden for so long. "I wasn't—he said I wasn't submissive enough. Wouldn't make a good wife. Especially when he learned it would be you." She couldn't look Kili in the eye. Not yet. There was so much more she wanted to say, but her head was spinning and she felt faint.

Eila didn't realize her knees had given way until she felt Kili's arms around her, catching her before she fell too far. The tears were flowing down her cheeks without permission now, having allowed the floodgates of all she'd locked away to pour out so freely, and she was faintly aware that Kili had scooped her up and carried her to the bed. As he sat on the edge of the mattress, he cradled her in his arms, enclosing her in a shield of muscle and flesh. She was too stunned to speak and still worrying over whether or not her father might somehow find a way to discipline her, even in Erebor.

"Eila, look at me."

She did her best to try and ward off the shock that still had a tight hold on her, but it took his gentle hand under her chin to lift her head and meet his eyes.

"You're terrified," he recognized with a whisper. And then he glowered, but she knew that his anger wasn't aimed at her. "Listen to me—no one is going to touch you in this mountain without your permission, not even me. No one is going to hurt you. My brother and I won't let any harm come to you." His eyes were pleading. "Say something, please… tell me you believe me."

"I do," her voice was not her own, it sounded as though it belonged to a stranger, but that didn't mean the words weren't true.

Kili glared at the floor, his arms squeezing tighter around her curled frame in his lap. "That was the answer to all of the riddles, wasn't it? I see, in you, a fiery spirit that wants to break free, but something was reining it in… I don't understand how a father could inflict his will on his own child."

"He's not my father," she whispered in a disoriented fog. "I'm not his child."

Kili's glare turned from the floor to her face, but his expression softened when he saw the numbness there.

"He's my stepfather." She said simply.

Kili's brow furrowed. "But his title—"

"Isn't his. My mother is of noble blood, as was my true father. But he died when I was very young. My mother died just after she remarried." She wasn't sure how the words were coming so easily now, but she didn't need to say the rest for Kili to understand what she was implying. Dwarves almost never re-married, but Morbruk's motivations for marrying a dwarf of a higher class were obvious. And though neither of them said it aloud, it was another feather in the widower's cap to have married off his only "daughter" to a Prince from the line of Durin.

Kili's face was filled with agony—a mixture of bitterness and grief. "I'm sorry, Eila. I'm sorry for your losses and for the treatment you should never have had to endure." He kissed the top of her head and sighed through his nose. "Now that I know, I can see the battle you've been waging in your mind since we first met. If I promise you that you are safe, will you make me a promise in return?"

She nodded and pulled her head out from under his chin, looking into his face with vulnerable eyes. "What do you want me to do?" Eila trusted him enough that she would have walked to the shores of the great ocean and back if he asked it.

"I want to see _you_," Kili said. "Not the dwarf lass who's been trained in the ways of court and not the one who's afraid of what her father will think of her. I want to see the lass you were before all of that. I've seen her peak through the façade of protocol every once in a while. The lass that likes to paint, the lass that likes to sing and laugh, the lass who…" He took in a shaky breath. "The lass I've come to love, when you let me see her. She is more beautiful to me than any treasure the world has to offer."

This was too much for the poor lass, who was already overwhelmed by the recognition that her father no longer had any power over her—physical or mental—and she wept into Kili's tunic, more in relief than anything else.

"Thank you," she whispered between sobs, peppering his neck with grateful kisses. And as she sat huddled against him, she felt the shudder of his arms and realized that _his_ eyes were also filled with tears.


	6. Chapter 6 - Invitation

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_**THE COURTSHIP OF THE SPARROW-HAWK**_

_**Chapter 6 – Invitation**_

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* * *

"_**Stay With Me" Jasmine Thompson**_

* * *

Though their encounter in the hallway had not ended in the way Eila thought it would—in tears instead of kisses, in confessions instead of loving whisperings, and in hurt instead of happiness—Kili seemed determined to make her comfortable and promised her he would stay with her until the evening.

Eila could see the last rays of sun peeking through the window as it set and took a deep breath in. Though her secret had been long kept, the tears she shed over it were finished, having processed her remorse and fear while steeling herself in the confidence that her husband was not a dwarf to be crossed and would not let her father hurt her anymore.

Somehow, a harp had made it into her hands—probably handed to her by the handsome dwarf who sat behind her in a chair as she sat on the floor in front of the fireplace—and she plucked at it while he ran a brush through her hair. His fingers were sending wondrous sensations through her scalp and spine, making her skin to prickle as he carefully divided her dark brown locks to braid them.

They said nothing while she strummed the harp, but Eila's thoughts were loud in her head. There was no longer any battle over what she should say or do—Kili had already won that war for her.

"Kili," Eila finally spoke, using his name instead of his rank for the first time. "Will you stay with me tonight?"

The fingers stopped moving through her hair and paused around her neck. "Yes."

And if he had any doubt as to what she meant by asking him to stay, Eila confirmed her meaning by twisting around and kneeling between his knees while she claimed his lips with a heated kiss, hands roaming over his shoulders until her fingers found his beard. Kili was startled by how abruptly she had kissed him, and with so much passion, but his hands wound around her waist and pulled her closer as soon as he took the hint: Gone was the tentative lass who blushed at the small pecks Kili gave her cheeks, replaced by a bolder female who knew what she wanted and was unashamed of it.


	7. Chapter 7 - Joy and Grief

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_**THE COURTSHIP OF THE SPARROW-HAWK**_

_**Chapter 7 – Joy and Grief**_

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* * *

"_**Open Your Eyes" Andrew Belle**_

* * *

"Someone looks happy with himself." Nur winked at Kili as they passed each other in the hall.

"Not myself so much as someone else," He grinned, daydreaming about the honey-brown eyes of his wife and the way they'd greeted him that morning.

"I'm glad you two finally broke the ice," She laughed.

If Kili were younger, he might have blushed at the implication, but he was much too pleased with the way things were working out that he laughed right along with her.

"It warms my heart to see you so happy," Nur leaned forward to embrace him. "I had no idea it would be this soon that you both would find so much joy in each other."

"Joy, yes," Kili nodded, sobering a little. "But also a little grief."

"Grief?" Nur's smile dropped into a frown. "Why do you speak of grief? What's happened?"

Kili took a moment to glance down either side of the hall to make sure they wouldn't be heard. "I'd appreciate this if you'd keep this to yourself, but I have a matter I need to bring to Fili."

Nur crossed her arms. "You mean to say that you'd like _me_ to bring it to him." She shook her head at him with a quirk of her lips.

"You know me too well." He winked at her.

"And why should I fight your battles for you?" Nur raised an eyebrow at him, brushing away a strand of her blonde hair as it fell into her face.

"Because this is a strange battle I'm not sure I'm equipped for and I'm certain you can soften a few of the blows for me."

"That doesn't sound good. All right then, do we speak of it here or would you prefer somewhere more private?"

Kili considered for a moment and then shook his head. "Here's well enough…" He sighed. "Eila told me that Lord Morbruk isn't her true father."

Nur nodded. "Her mother remarried, we knew that much."

"But what you didn't know was how far he was willing to push her into this match." Kili added with a growl, his jawline tensing as he took a moment to calm himself. "Yesterday… I found a bruise on her arm."

Nur blinked.

"A _hand-shaped_ bruise." Kili reiterated.

Nur's curious expression melted into anger and her brows pressed together.

"Eila says that her father did it. And last night… I can't…" Kili blew out a breath to control his temper. "I found other marks on her. Apparently he was fond of using a cane on her whenever she stepped out of line."

"How long has this been going on?" Nur scowled.

"Close to a year." He answered quickly.

"Well, he won't be coming near her while she's here." The Queen said adamantly.

"That's why I need to bring this to Fili. Lord Morbruk is supposed to be visiting next month as a traditional accommodation to the bride of royalty, but…" Kili shook his head. "Nur, I don't think I could look him in the eye without imagining him beating her."

Nur nodded as she looked at her crossed arms, her mind obviously working over something. "Fili will want to see for himself. Do you think Eila will speak to him about it?"

"I honestly don't know, but I can ask her."

Nur sighed and held her forehead in her hand. "I had no idea something like this could pass through all the meetings we went through. That someone would stoop so low—"

"That doesn't surprise me." Kili cut her off. "Not nearly as much as the idea that he thought he could get away with it."

Nodding, Nur fixed him with a determined expression. "I'll speak to Fili about this immediately. Be sure to give your wife some warning, though—he's going to be livid."


	8. Chapter 8 - Confessions and Proof

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_**THE COURTSHIP OF THE SPARROW-HAWK**_

_**Chapter 8 – Confessions and Proof**_

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* * *

"_**Bloodstream" Ed Sheeran**_

* * *

It turned out that Eila was not too shy to speak to Fili, and Nur made good on her word of bringing things to her husband's attention.

They all stood in the new couples' quarters, where Kili watched his family discuss the abuse of the lass he'd come to love in just a few short days: beatings from the hands of the dwarf she'd been entrusted to after her mother's death. It made his blood boil just to think of it and watching the way Eila's eyes glazed over and her face became blank when she spoke, as though she were mentally shielding herself from the pain of the memories.

But the way Eila spoke gave Kili some small amount of relief—it had taken a lot of hard work to do it, but once she was absolutely sure that her stepfather could not get to her in Erebor, she donned a confident composure that stated things matter-of-factly and without bitterness. From her own mouth, she acknowledged that Morbruk had done wrong and that there was no way to go back and change things, accepting the past as it was.

"That's quite a tale, lass," Fili said with crossed arms as he stood before their fireplace. To anyone else, it might have sounded like he didn't believe her, but Kili knew his brother was keeping his temper in check. "I don't want to ask it of you, but as King, it would be irresponsible of me not to ask for proof."

Kili was about to object and stepped forward to grip his brother's arm, but Eila was already unbuttoning her thin jacket, turning her back to Nur and Kili as she pulled down on the collar of her shirt, exposing the skin on either side of her backbone.

Watching Fili turn slowly to see what his wife was gaping at, Kili saw the moment when his brother recognized the faint white strips across Eila's back.

"She said he used a cane." Kili ground out, still strongly affected by the subtle lines loitering his wife's skin.

Eila stood perfectly still, expressionless as she looked down at the blankets on the bed in front of her, allowing Nur to inspect the scars lightly with gentle fingers. Kili was fighting the urge to brush Nur's hands away, but Eila didn't seem to mind being touched and so he kept his feet planted where they were.

"This," Nur pointed to a set of lines darker than the rest at Eila's lower back. "Is not the work of a cane."

Kili's brows pushed together and he allowed himself to take a step closer to see what Nur was referring to. Eila's face adopted a look of nervousness, almost as though she were afraid of being called a liar, but when Nur spoke again, Kili understood what Eila was thinking.

"That is leather chord if I ever saw it," Nur glared at Fili.

"Are you sure?" Kili asked aloud, partly to Nur and partly to Eila.

"Of course, she is," Fili growled defensively. "No one would know the sight of a whip lash better than an Akkik warrior lass."

Beatings by cane were one thing—discipline wasn't an uncommon thing, though it seemed inappropriate for one so close to adulthood—but to use a whip was another thing entirely.

"I tried to run away." Eila's firm, but quiet voice was heard in the tense silence. "When he told me he intended me for a political marriage and I didn't agree to it, he was furious. It was my plan to leave, to tell someone what he was doing, but he was… persuasive."

Kili was astonished that she didn't sound afraid and was waiting for her to burst into tears as she had done the previous day. But it seemed as though Eila was one who processed things quickly, and once she had settled her mind on something, it was done. This was something he understood—being called reckless time and again when what he really wanted was to get to the heart of things and not dwell on the flowery preludes, despite whatever risk was involved.

Fili silently fumed in front of the fireplace again, staring into the flames and turning his back to the sight of Eila's hurts. "Nur," He said with a tremor of barely-controlled rage. "I can do nothing to this dwarf noble unless he commits a crime in my own Kingdom—if I sent your father a letter, do you think King Dain would deal with this appropriately?"

"That depends on what you mean by 'appropriately'," Queen Nur answered as she pulled Eila's shirt back into place and helped her back into her jacket.

"Nur," Kili's brother growled, obviously not in a mood to have his patience tested.

"He would deal with it just as swiftly as you would, though he might be more lenient in the punishment."

Fili nodded and strode away from the fireplace. "That will have to do."

Nur pulled Eila into her arms for a quick embrace before following after Fili, who looked like he was on the war path, through the door of their quarters. And as the door closed with a click, Kili and Eila were alone.


	9. Chapter 9 -Bold Again

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_**THE COURTSHIP OF THE SPARROW-HAWK**_

_**Chapter 9 – Bold Again**_

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* * *

"_**Honey Jars" Bryan John Appleby**_

* * *

Eila stood at the foot of their bed with her hands clasped in front of her, waiting for Kili to speak.

But, Mahal, what was he to say?

He could think of several things he wanted to ask her, but he wasn't sure if it was too soon—like why she hadn't told him about the whip or how her stepfather thought he could have gotten away with such a thing.

But Kili knew that where words failed, actions could take their place, and he strode over to her and took her in his arms, locking her in a firm hold as he breathed in the scent of her hair.

"Thank you for being brave," Kili whispered. "I know it isn't easy to talk to Fili when he's like that, but you did well."

"It wasn't all that hard," Eila said into his tunic, her nose brushing against his collar bone.

"Is that the first lie I've heard from you?" Kili smirked.

"No," Eila looked up into his face with amusement. "It really wasn't that hard. You were near enough to stand up for me if I needed it; I felt safe."

Kili's heart swelled to know that she already placed so much trust in him.

"I'm more embarrassed over how long it took me to find someone to tell," She said, ducking her face back into his chest and resting her forehead over his heart. "And I'm not happy that my husband had to find out _after_ the wedding."

"Don't be embarrassed," Kili's arms tightened around her, a hand smoothing over her hair. "None of us are upset with you for the circumstances. And better to find out now than in a month when the bride's father comes to check on how his daughter is settling in."

Eila jolted under Kili's touch at the mention of the traditional visit. "Is that still happening?"

"Of course not," Kili pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Do you really think King Fili the Furious would let Lord Morbruk set foot on Erebor soil, now that he knows what the dwarf has done?"

"No, I guess not," Eila said with relief.

"Please don't tell my brother I called him Fili the Furious," Kili winced.

Eila snorted and raised her head to smile mischievously at him. "And pass up the opportunity to watch him behead you? It'd save me the trouble of poisoning you."

"Oh, so we're back to that, now?" Kili grinned, relieved that the tense moment seemed to have passed and his lass was back to smiling. "I'm not sure he would behead me …" His eyebrows rose and he smiled absurdly at her. "He might _maim_ me, though."

"Then I'll just have to giggle about it with Nur in a secluded corner. Though that might eventually make its way back to him."

"What am I going to do with you?" Kili chuckled, sliding his hands to her lower back. "Hmm. I can think of one way to keep you quiet."

"Then stop talking and do it." Eila snickered, raising herself on her tip-toes to reach him as he leaned in to kiss her.


	10. Chapter 10 - Hoarse and Horse

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_**THE COURTSHIP OF THE SPARROW-HAWK**_

_**Chapter 10 – Hoarse Horse**_

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* * *

"_**Between Us" Peter Bradley Adams**_

* * *

It was two weeks since Kili had wed the lass from the Iron Hills, but he'd noticed the difference in her personality only a few days after the talk with Fili. Eila was vibrant and carefree in a way that matched his own character, and he praised Mahal that she was at ease enough with him to let her true colors show.

Her talent with a paintbrush amazed him, though she was clearly a perfectionist enough that she didn't consider herself as skilled as his compliments to her. But what surpassed that was her voice…

"I could listen to you sing for hours," He said as they sat together on the sofa in front of the fire one evening.

"I'd be so hoarse at the end of it, though," Eila grinned at him before setting herself on the ground in front of his feet. At first, Kili thought she meant for him to brush her hair, but she confused him when she sat facing his legs. And then she pulled a boot and sock from his foot and he understood her intentions.

"You don't need to do that," He attempted to pull his bare foot away from her, but she had a strong grip on his ankle and wouldn't let him budge.

"I don't mind." She said as she began to knead his heel with her knuckles.

"You don't mind my disgusting feet?" He snorted incredulously at her, though that was the end of his objections—Mahal, what she was doing felt so good! Kili couldn't stop the low moan that left his lips as she massaged his instep with strong fingers.

"They're not disgusting." Eila objected with a shake of her head.

"Mmm," Kili had lost the ability to think, but then remembered what he'd wanted to say before his wife had begun to coax inappropriate noises from his lips. "Speaking of hoarse, would you like to go riding with me tomorrow?"

"Hoarse?" She wrinkled her nose at him, but then she laughed and nodded. "Hoarse—horse. Oh, Kili," She grinned at him with a raised brow. "Really?"

"Yes, really, you married a fool—I'm sorry you had to find out this way." He said before another low moan crept from his throat, prompted by the way her palm was working at his lower calf.

"I would love to go riding with you tomorrow." Eila snickered. "But only if you make time for a picnic."

"I'll give you whatever you want, Princess Eila, so long as you keep doing what you're doing." Kili threw his head back and savored the sensation running from his foot to his leg. "Thank you for this."

"You're on your feet all day; I can imagine they need as much attention as the rest of you." She winked.

Kili snorted. "I hope that wasn't a complaint—I seem to recall my lady love being the one frequently engaging me in 'attention'."

"It wasn't a complaint," She said, turning her eyes back to her ministrations toward his feet. "And I'd be hard-pressed not to be tempted by…" And then Eila stopped. "What did you call me?"

"My lady love?" Kili pulled his head up from where it rested and looked down at her. "Do you not like that?"

A flush of red erupted across her cheeks. "I liked it. I've never had someone call me that before."

"Have you never had a sweetheart?" Kili wondered aloud.

"No," She shook her head. "You're my first –and only— love."

Kili's heart dropped. "Truly?" He suddenly felt guilty for not saying the words he felt were obvious enough not to say. Slinking from his seat, Kili knelt on the floor in front of her.

_Kili, this is her first time hearing it, make it special for her_, he scolded himself.

"Eila, I've neglected speaking of my affections for you, though I promise I have felt them since the first night we sat on the ledge—" He took her face in his hands. "—I love you." And leaning forward to kiss her, he could feel the erratic flutter of her heart with his fingers along her jawline.

Hadn't anyone told this beautiful lass of her worth? It was cruel to expect her to have self-confidence when there were none who valued her. But Kili vowed he would be ever-vigilant in reminding her of his sentiments to make up for all the wrong done to her.

"I love you," Kili repeated. "And I hope that, in time, you can become happy here."

"I already am," She smiled at him with tearful eyes. "Kili, I cannot help but love you for everything you've done for me—but I think I would love you even if you hadn't."

"Don't say that." He pleaded. "Don't tell me you would have let me live in ignorance of what you went through. I need to know that I've done everything I can to make things right, that I've done my duty as a husband."

"You have," Eila nodded, raising her lips to brush softly against his.


	11. Chapter 11 - Darker Days

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**THE COURTSHIP OF THE SPARROW-HAWK**

**Chapter 11 – Darker Days**

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* * *

"_**Chasing Cars" Sleeping At Last**_

* * *

The brilliant blue sky and warm sun accommodated Eila and Kili on their day of riding and the grass was so deliciously green beside the rim of trees that Eila couldn't help but sink into it as they let their steeds graze.

"I'm glad I thought to bring a picnic." Kili grinned, carrying a saddlebag toward her and laying out a blanket. But as soon as he'd begun to lay out their lunch, a swarm of clouds gathered overhead and blocked out the heat of the sun, lending a mild chill to the air.

"So much for sun-bathing." Eila sighed.

"It's not so bad," Kili waved her over to the blanket and she sat cross-legged across from him. "Good food, good place, and the company of one of the prettiest lasses this side of the Misty Mountains." He grinned widely at her, holding out a small cut of cheese and winking when she took it.

"Sometimes, Kili, it seems as though nothing will ever dim your optimism." Eila smiled at him, taking a small bite of cheese. He offered her a smile and a slice of bread, lightly buttered. "It seems that once you've set your sights on something, you see it happily done." She wondered if he understood that she was partially referring to herself and how he'd broken her out of her shell.

Kili nodded, clearly catching her unsaid statement. "Not everything, but I'm glad to hear you say that. Fili would thank you for it."

"Thank me for what?" Her eyebrows shot up as she nibbled on the bread.

"You haven't been the only one healed by this marriage."

Eila paused in her chewing. Her husband's face was completely unreadable and he offered no other words, leaving her to puzzle over his meaning.

"There were darker days," He said with such weight that she felt shy of prying further. Kili stared at the ground for a moment, looking lost in memory. "Days when I thought we wouldn't make it… when the quest would claim our lives." There was a shadow over his face Eila hadn't seen before. The dwarf prince hadn't spoken much about their adventure in reclaiming Erebor, but Eila could recall Fili mentioning the changes in Thorin's company after the Great Battle.

"You once asked me why my brother pressed me to marry so swiftly to someone I'd never met." Kili's voice broke Eila out of her musings and she trained her eyes on his face. There was age there, a tiredness that she was beginning to see. "And the quest was part of it. We sacrificed so much to retake Erebor… and when all was said and done, it seemed like we gave too much."

Reaching out to set her hand lightly on his over the picnic blanket, Eila brought herself to sit closer to her husband. Kili squinted at her through eyes that seemed to be looking for something and then toppled backward, pulling her with him so that they lay side by side on the grass.

Nestling her head on his shoulder and into the bend of his neck Eila scooted herself to lay close beside him. Looking up into the sky with one arm raised up for his head to rest against, his other arm wound around Eila, warm fingers combing softly through her long hair and grazing her backbone in a way that sent tingles all the way to her feet.

"King Fili required you to marry to give you—"

"A reason to keep going." Kili answered in a rough voice, as though he were ashamed. "Does that offend you?"

Eila snorted. "No. It was a desperate risk, but he did it because he loves you."

Kili tilted his head to look down at Eila's nose. "Good thing it worked."

"Mm, did it?" She sent him a wry smile.

Eila expected him to say something playful, but instead his body went rigid and his arm around her tensed. At the back of her mind, she worried she'd gone too far, but when Kili immediately sat up to look around them, she realized he was assessing their surroundings for some kind of danger.

"Wait here." He pointed at the blanket, rising to his feet and walking away from it at a speedy pace.

Eila was stumped and watched him in shock. What had he heard? But as she turned her head to watch him speak to the chaperone guard, she began to hear what the prince's keen ears had already picked up on: The hoof-beats of horses approaching.

Standing and squinting in the direction of her husband and the guard, Eila caught sight of a party of ponies and a wagon approaching. There was a dwarven lady just behind two gaurds, riding side-saddle and holding herself in such a regal manner that Eila was certain she was royalty. She was certainly the most beautiful dwarf Eila had ever seen.

Long waves of golden-blonde hair rolled in waves down the elegant lass's shoulders, which were covered in white and grey furs draped along her jewel-studded collar, which came up high soon her neck. Her ruby-red lips were visible even from the distance and her sky-blue cape whipped behind her even in the meager wind.

As the two guards made their approach atop their steeds, they spoke to the guard standing beside Kili. Eila stepped forward to join Kili, certain that the newcomers meant no harm, and was close enough to hear when the beautiful lady spoke.

"I'm sure that won't be necessary as Prince Kili and I are _very closely_ acquainted."

The lady then slid from her horse, strode confidently over to Kili, and planted a very heated kiss on his lips.

* * *

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**_In no way, my dears, have I forgotten about this story. I merely lacked a little inspiration_**

**_and clearly have got it back ;) Please forgive any typos- lately, my method of writing has been very _**

**_"fly by the seat of my pants" "get it out there as quick as possible"._**

**_This story will end when I've written the words "THE END", so until that point, just keeping checking in, eh?_**

**_._**

**Want a **Kili and OC **humorous parody? **Try HOW TO WRECK A MARY SUE****

**Kili and Danika are tired of being pushed around in fan fiction stories and make a pact to defy writer's prompts, but do they have any idea what will happen if they don't play by the rules? Guest appearances from Luna Lovegood, The Doctor, Sherlock, and others!**

**.**

**Want some****Kili/Tauriel romance/adventure? Try STARS AND HAMMERS**

**Fluff, Drama, Romance, Hurt/Comfort - This is a compilation of one-shots following Kili and Tauriel's one-year adventure as they accompany Bilbo back to The Shire (after the Battle of Five Armies) and then return to Erebor.**

.

**Want some Fili/OC romance/adventure? Try****GOLD AND FIRE**

**Fili and Nur marry in secret just before he leaves for Erebor, but what is a lonely wife to do while her husband is braving life and death for their future? Covers the Battle of Five Armies and afterward.****Explanations for some of the actions within the movies as well as some behind the scenes! A sequel to GEMS AND POISON**

**.**

**Want some Thorin/OC romance/angst?****Try****JEWELS AND DAGGERS**

**Just as Thorin becomes engaged to be married, the dragon attacks Erebor and all is thrown into chaos! Men with wicked intent take captive some of the wandering dwarves- will Thorin, Frerin, and Dwalin be able to rescue the enslaved dwarves, including Runa, Thorin's beloved?**

**.**


	12. Chapter 12 - Say My Name

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**THE COURSTHIP OF THE SPARROW-HAWK**

**Chapter 12 – Say My Name**

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* * *

"_**Say My Name" Flearoy**_

* * *

Kili's mind was a tumult of thought.

Bran. Bran from the Blue Mountains. The same blonde-haired, blue-eyed Bran that had promised herself to Kili before he'd set out for Erebor with his uncle and brother.

Not only was she here… but she was kissing him.

He was so shocked by her sudden press against his body that he hadn't had time to take a step back, but now he gripped her shoulders firmly and pulled her away from him. Her face was alight with mischief — a lesser dwarf might have faltered under the lick she gave her lips, but Kili was no such dwarf.

"Ahem." He cleared his throat. "Lady Bran, I think you—" The sound of a sharp slap was heard and Kili blinked his eyes, stepping away from Lady Bran only to realize that the sound had been his wife's hand against the dwarf lady's face.

Eila's eyes were burning and a furious redness covered her cheekbones as she took another step forward, preparing to strike out at Lady Bran again. The Lady shuddered away, holding her hands over her face as Kili threw an arm in front of Eila.

"Eila, stop!" He pleaded. "She didn't know—she doesn't understand."

As Eila turned her head to look at him, her fiery eyes latched onto him with a look of betrayal. What Kili had done to earn such a glare was beyond him, but he would tend to that later.

"Lady Bran, my apologies," He uttered, ignoring the way Eila was now gaping at him. "This is my wife, Princess Eila."

"Eila?" The stunned Bran looked from him to Eila. "I'm assuming that's an adoptive title—I've never heard of a _Princess_ Eila before."

"Nevertheless," Kili's voice took on a guarded tone. "You'll do well to show respect to a Princess of Erebor."

Standing up to her full height and looking down her nose at Eila, Bran regained her composure and raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps…" And clearing her throat, Bran turned her face to Kili. "Now, if you'll kindly accompany us to the Mountain, we've had a long and wearying trip from Ered Luin."

As much as Kili wanted to grumble that no one had asked her to make that trip, he nodded and motioned for the guard to follow as they made their way back to the ponies.

* * *

...

Eila watched the Lady out of the corner of her eye as they rode their ponies back into the stables of the mountain.

Hussie. Heartless wench. Thief. Betrayer. Oath-breaker. All the vile names she could think filled Eila's head. The lass was beautiful, there was no argument of that, not even when Eila had come close enough to slap her—she had noticed the exceptionally long eyelashes and perfectly groomed eyebrows, the plump swell of the dwarf's rose lips and the light flush of Bran's high cheekbones.

But then her mind replayed the comment Kili had made earlier. _"…and the company of one of the prettiest lasses this side of the Misty Mountains_."

Oh, Mahal. Was her mind running away with her? Or did that mean he still thought of the blonde lass that was supposed to be on the _other _side of the Misty Mountains?

_Stop it, Eila_, she told herself. _Squash that doubt right now_. _He loves you, he said so himself._

_But he defended her_, another part of her argued. _He apologized to her…_

_As he should! _She reasoned. _Thank Mahal Erebor has a Prince that can be diplomatic, even under pressure. He was acting more reasonably than you were!_

_But… _They were almost through the gates, the ponies slowing as they approached the stables. _But, he's mine! _Jealousy surged through her, but it was at war with her shame. Certainly, the Lady Bran hadn't known that Kili was married before she approached him in such a familiar manner.

She glanced back at the Lady one last time before dismounting.

No. That smug expression the Lady Bran was sending Eila said everything. Bran had known Kili was married. And she'd kissed him anyway.

* * *

.

_**You'll notice these chapters are a bit shorter than the previous ones- it's because I'm attempting to **_

_**get out one new chapter a day (or every other day) to see if it will keep the updates coming faster.**_

_**Writing a longer chapter means you have to wait longer, and I know I don't enjoy that as a reader :P**_

_**Another chapter tomorrow- lemme know how I'm doing and leave a review!**_

**.**

**Want a **Kili and OC **humorous parody? **Try HOW TO WRECK A MARY SUE****

**Kili and Danika are tired of being pushed around in fan fiction stories and make a pact to defy writer's prompts, but do they have any idea what will happen if they don't play by the rules? Guest appearances from Luna Lovegood, The Doctor, Sherlock, and others!**

**.**

**Want some****Kili/Tauriel romance/adventure? Try STARS AND HAMMERS**

**Fluff, Drama, Romance, Hurt/Comfort - This is a compilation of one-shots following Kili and Tauriel's one-year adventure as they accompany Bilbo back to The Shire (after the Battle of Five Armies) and then return to Erebor.**

.

**Want some Fili/OC romance/adventure? Try****GOLD AND FIRE**

**Fili and Nur marry in secret just before he leaves for Erebor, but what is a lonely wife to do while her husband is braving life and death for their future? Covers the Battle of Five Armies and afterward.****Explanations for some of the actions within the movies as well as some behind the scenes! A sequel to GEMS AND POISON**

**.**

**Want some Thorin/OC romance/angst?****Try****JEWELS AND DAGGERS**

**Just as Thorin becomes engaged to be married, the dragon attacks Erebor and all is thrown into chaos! Men with wicked intent take captive some of the wandering dwarves- will Thorin, Frerin, and Dwalin be able to rescue the enslaved dwarves, including Runa, Thorin's beloved?**

**.**


	13. Chapter 13 - The Art of War

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**THE COURTSHIP OF THE SPARROW-HAWK**

**Chapter 13 – The Art of War**

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"_**How's It Gonna End" Tom Waits**_

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Fili was quiet. Too quiet for Nur's liking. As they sat beside each other at the smaller of the King's tables and waited for his brother to arrive in the elegant dining room, Queen Nur replayed the incidents of the day in her head.

Bran had shown up around mid afternoon, unannounced, had kissed Kili, and then asked to be escorted to Erebor. Nur had nearly stormed into Lady Bran's guest room after their arrival, to demand to know what the Lady's purpose was, but her training in both courtly manners and battle strategy had won out. Patience. That's what was needed. Patience- let the Lady reveal herself and then respond to it accordingly.

Nur's nerves practically bristled with alertness and she was irked that she could not see the same response from her husband. How he could be so calm and collected in front of this two-faced, beautified orc was something Nur couldn't fathom, but she trusted her husband. He was much better at chess than she was anyway.

Kili and Eila were unspeaking as they entered the King's private dining quarters, a green marbled room with accents of silver touching the fireplace and table. The table itself had been hewn from a massive tree and polished such that Nur could see her reflection in it. The politely false smile plastered to her face seemed to be grinning back at her from her placing at the table.

Across from Fili and herself, Nur spared Kili and Eila a glance as they sat, reading their discomfort before screwing her eyes on the entrance when Lady Bran stepped through the doorway.

Long lashes and pouty lips lent the dwarf lass's face a natural beauty, while the rest was, to Nur's knowledge, the product of powders and other beautification remedies. The high cheek-bones were an illusion, Nur knew, but the flesh below the blonde dwarf's neck was no illusion. Glowing, warm flesh rounded impossibly perfect, and the low-plunging neckline of the buxom Bran's dress left almost nothing to the imagination. Shimmery, red fabric clung to the Lady Bran's curvy body, highlighting her hourglass shape.

Stealing a short look to gauge Kili's expression, Nur saw him swallow before turning his eyes to his plate, unable to hide the blush that was spreading across his face. Lady Bran's voluptuous figure floated to pass behind Kili and she rested a hand on the back of his chair as she headed for the seat directly beside him—until Fili cleared his throat and waved a hand at the seat at the _end_ of the table, beside none of them. Lady Bran made a small bow, undaunted at being directed away from the King's brother, and lowered herself gracefully into the seat.

Fili had made a toast and conversation had begun over the meal, but Nur heard almost none of it. Her trained eyes were assessing Bran for a threat.

Every once in a while, Kili would lift his head to look at his brother, but other than that made no eye contact with anyone. It was incredibly obvious that Kili did not want to be in the same room with the lass, let alone speak to her, and he looked as though he were asking permission to leave with each glance toward Fili. But Fili's eyes said to Kili the same thing the King had said to Nur that afternoon: wait.

"And now, Lady Bran," Fili said amiably, sipping from a goblet of wine. "We come to your purpose here."

"Erebor," Lady Bran smiled widely and waved her arms around her. "Newly won and full of opportunity."

"Those words sound so hopeful, coming from the mouth of a miner or tinker," Nur said, skewering her meat with a little too much force. "But perhaps they mean something different from a Lady."

Bran continued to smile, either passing over the bite of Nur's words or ignorant to them. "Even the Queen requires gentle-ladies for her court; the future of Erebor holds hope for me, as well."

"Does your father feel as you do?" Fili asked—which Nur knew to mean, "Where is he?"

"My father has recently passed." Bran said, lowering her head in respect, but Nur could see that the lass had very little remorse over her father's death. "I am alone to find my own way in the world, now."

Nur nearly snorted as she pulled a flagon of ale to her lips. Let Fili keep his wine, Nur was in need of something stronger to get through this dinner.

"What way would that be?" Eila spoke, and Nur realized she had been so closely watching Kili and Bran that she'd ignored the girl sitting directly across from her. Eila's subdued face reminded Nur of the shy, reserved lass Eila used to be, and not the strong one she'd recently become. Had Bran already said something to Eila? Something to take the light out of her eyes?

"The Lonely Mountain is full of possibilities," Bran looked toward Nur as though _she_ had asked the question, refusing to make eye contact with Eila. "I'm sure I can reconcile myself to one," Bran looked toward Kili, "or the other." She tilted her head to look at Fili.

Nur's heart stopped in her ribs before increasing to a beat that was wildly out of control. A heavy hand came to rest on hers, startling Nur out of her murderous gaze at Bran and calling her attention to the fingers Nur had unconsciously woven around a serrated meat knife.

"Perhaps if you were to give us an idea of your skill-set, we could better accommodate you." Fili gently unwrapped Nur's fingers from the knife. "For example, Queen Nur has trained under the Akkik Warriors and is adept in several types of combat, well-versed in warfare, and experienced even in Erebor's latest battle."

_Oh, Fili_, Nur had to take a breath to steady herself. Bran's seductive glance toward the King had been noticed by more than just Nur, she was relieved to note. And Fili's message was clear_: My wife will make short work of you._

Bran nodded as though logging the information away and turned her eyes toward Kili once again. "Prince Kili was instructing me in the ways of silver-smithing when we were last together in the Blue Mountains—and although he never finished those lessons, I wonder if he'll take them up again. I'm sure he has an ample hammer—"

Eila broke into a fit of coughing, red-faced and eyes watering, and Nur took the opportunity to stand and come to the lass's side.

"We'll be back in just a moment, she needs some air." Nur said, bringing Eila to her feet and pulling her through the door.

The coughing continued until Nur and Eila were surrounded by the dim torch-light of the room beyond the dining room.

"That horrible witch!" Eila sputtered, bringing her hands up over her face. "That cursed, vile—"

"Eila," Nur shook the dwarf's shoulders. "She's trying to get under your skin. Look at me."

The poor lass shuddered and brought her head up as though it weighed too much.

"She's challenging you to a battle." Nur said evenly. "Bran wants you to fall apart. She wants to plant those seeds of doubt in your head and make them do all the hard work for her. But you listen to me." Nur put a hand under Eila's chin and forced the frightened lass to look her in the eye. "When she attacks, you need to deflect. Remember what's true and let that defend you: Kili loves you. He will never leave you. She doesn't understand how strong you are, but I do."

Eila's eyes were wide and she didn't seem to be breathing.

"I know how strong you are." Nur repeated. "Remember what's true. Deflect her attacks. Got it?"

"Yes." Eila whispered.

"And," Nur held up a finger. "Don't stop speaking to Kili."

Nur could see the confusion in Eila's eyes at this last piece of advice, but Nur was already ushering her back into the dining room, allowing the comment to sit in Eila's mind. If she didn't understand it now, she would later.

Eila would have kept moving, but there was someone occupying her seat.

_Well_, Nur breathed out. _Time to lay down the law_. Nur was no wilting Queen.

Sharply grabbing at the shoulder of Lady Bran, Nur lifted the dwarf from the seat beside Kili and motioned for Eila to fill it. Kili did not look up at Nur, but wore a guilty expression, head hanging low while his hands clenched in his lap.

"I'm sure you'll excuse us, as I need to have a word with Lady Bran in private." She put an arm around Bran's shoulder and guided her to step into the next room, where Nur kept her voice low, though she knew those in the dining room wouldn't hear them. "Perhaps things are different where you come from, but here we take matters seriously regarding marriage contracts. Kili won't be ending his marriage to Eila any time soon—"

"I don't mean to interfere with marriage contracts." Bran grinned sweetly at Queen Nur. "But Prince Kili—and perhaps even the King of Erebor— might be willing to take on an extra," the Lady licked her lips, "_escort_, now and then."

"My husband isn't interested in taking on a lover." Nur replied bluntly.

"That's not something he'd talk to you about, is it, darling?" Bran's musical voice lilted.

"Let me be perfectly clear," Nur smiled politely and spoke in a calm voice. "Touch my husband and I'll pull the skin away from your ribs with my bear hands, reach under your bones, and eat your heart in front of your dying eyes. And my kingdom will cheer me on while I do it."

Bran's mask of confidence faltered and she bit her lip, but it satisfied Nur enough to see that the dwarf Lady believed her. But then the lass gathered up her courage once more. "Like I said before, I've got _options_. Ones that _aren't_ under your protection."

"If you're talking about Kili, you're right, he's not under my protection in the same way." Nur nodded. "But Eila will make you the same offer."

"That tiny bird?" Bran laughed as casually as though they were talking about the hem-length of skirts.

"That tiny bird is a lot more dangerous than you would think." Nur said as she turned away, calling back over her shoulder. "Even a sparrow-hawk has talons that can pierce through bone."

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_** Well, that escalated quickly! Another update tomorrow, my dears! :)**_

_**Please leave me a review, they make me so happy! :D**_

_**.**_

**Want a **Kili and OC **humorous parody? **Try HOW TO WRECK A MARY SUE****

**Kili and Danika are tired of being pushed around in fan fiction stories and make a pact to defy writer's prompts, but do they have any idea what will happen if they don't play by the rules? Guest appearances from Luna Lovegood, The Doctor, Sherlock, and others!**

**.**

**Want some****Kili/Tauriel romance/adventure? Try STARS AND HAMMERS**

**Fluff, Drama, Romance, Hurt/Comfort - This is a compilation of one-shots following Kili and Tauriel's one-year adventure as they accompany Bilbo back to The Shire (after the Battle of Five Armies) and then return to Erebor.**

.

**Want some Fili/OC romance/adventure? Try ****GOLD AND FIRE**

**Fili and Nur marry in secret just before he leaves for Erebor, but what is a lonely wife to do while her husband is braving life and death for their future? Covers the Battle of Five Armies and afterward.****Explanations for some of the actions within the movies as well as some behind the scenes! A sequel to GEMS AND POISON**

**.**

**Want some Thorin/OC romance/angst?****Try ****JEWELS AND DAGGERS**

**Just as Thorin becomes engaged to be married, the dragon attacks Erebor and all is thrown into chaos! Men with wicked intent take captive some of the wandering dwarves- will Thorin, Frerin, and Dwalin be able to rescue the enslaved dwarves, including Runa, Thorin's beloved?**

**.**


	14. Chapter 14 - Removing the Chill

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**THE COURTSHIP OF THE SPARROW-HAWK**

**Chapter 14 – Removing the Chill**

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"_**Orange Ocean (Loscil Remix)" Kodomo**_

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Kili's heart had been pounding in his chest when Lady Bran had entered the dining room in that dress. Even minutes into the dinner conversation, Kili was struggling to keep his eyes trained on his plate.

It wasn't possible. It couldn't be that same dress. The one she'd worn on the day Bran had tried to persuade him to court her. Usually, the lasses held the power in marriage proposals and contracts, but as a Prince… well, it was more complicated. Although the neckline of that particular dress made it difficult to think clearly and the complications had been at the back of his mind.

Bran must have known how strong his reactions to that dress were because her eyes kept flitting toward him and the conversation kept prompting him to speak. He didn't want to. He couldn't. So, instead, he alternated between staring at his plate and glancing at Fili. _Mahal, don't let my eyes wander in her direction_, Kili pleaded silently. His brother's expression told him to be patient and he knew that Fili was keeping track of all the things happening at the table. But, orc spit, why didn't Fili just tell the witch off?

"The Lonely Mountain is full of possibilities," Bran said in reference to Fili's question about her purposes there. "I'm sure I can reconcile myself to one or _the other_."

And even though Kili didn't dare look in her direction, he knew that the Lady had been referring to Fili with that last jab.

Across the table from from Eila, Nur's hand clenched around a carving knife and Kili nearly smiled at the thought of his sister-in-law dismembering Lady Bran. At least then he wouldn't have to look at that sinful dress anymore.

Squirming in her seat, Eila was obviously unsettled, and Kili wished to Mahal he could have grabbed her hand and fled from the room. He allowed his mind to wander for a moment, imagining how he would have done it: _First he would have stood up so fast that it would have knocked his chair over, then he would have scooped up Eila into his arms and kissed her in front of Bran so hard that she would have forgotten her own name._ Just the thought of it brought him some comfort and he reached for Eila's hand beneath the table, awkwardly bumping into her thigh, as he couldn't see.

The poor lass was caught off-guard, jerking at the touch and he immediately withdrew his hand, apologetic at having startled her, and resumed his daydream:

_He would have kicked Bran's chair over and tossed Nur the axe mounted on the wall, expecting that his brother's wife would have finished off Bran while he carried Eila through the mountain, shouting and declaring his love for her at the top of his lungs so that none would doubt—_

And then suddenly a series of things happened all at once, spanning only a few moments, though the moments were key:

"Prince Kili—" Bran said through seductive lips.

Upon hearing his name, he instinctually turned his head to look at her. And instantly he was filled with regret.

"—was instructing me in the way of silver-smithing—"

Oh, Mahal, that cursedly low neckline! It still stirred the same response now as it had long ago!

"—and although he never finished those lessons—"

Under the table, Kili felt Eila's hand reaching for his. She must have realized that he was trying to comfort her earlier and was now reacting, but her hand overshot the target and accidentally fell into his lap instead.

"—I wonder if he'll take them up again."

Eila's head snapped to look at Kili with wide eyes, and he could see that she hadn't meant to grope him, but that she was definitely unsettled by what she'd felt there, his very clear response to Bran's low-cut dress and exposed flesh. Eila's beautiful, brown eyes looked at him in despair and betrayal, and his heart stopped in his chest.

Bran was speaking again. "I'm sure he has an ample hammer—"

Doubling over in her chair, Eila began to cough violently and Kili was about to stand up when Nur practically leapt out of her seat and pulled Eila from the room, leaving him and his brother alone with Lady Bran.

As much as Kili wanted to be angry with Bran, he was being overwhelmed with guilt over the look his wife had given him before disappearing with Queen Nur. Resting his elbows on the table, he took his face in his hands and prayed that Fili would banish the dwarf-woman.

When Fili did speak, Kili's ears were pounding with the sound of his own heart, and the words sounded light as a whisper. "Lady Bran, based on the skills I know you possess, you'd be fit for only one position in the kingdom."

"And that would be?" Kili barely heard her reply.

"The waste-mucker on the fifth level of the dungeons."

Kili didn't dare look up, didn't dare to attempt another glance in her direction, but he could vaguely hear her cool reply through his throbbing ears.

"My lord, I don't believe Erebor has five levels of dungeons."

"We don't," Fili replied. Kili could hear a chair move and assumed that his brother had risen to his feet. "But this is the title I would gift you with _after_ you dig the fifth level out with your bare hands."

"I'm sure there are a few dwarves who would ensure I wouldn't have to endure that." Kili heard Bran say, just before he realized that it was _her_ who had moved out of the chair, not Fili.

Just as Nur and Eila entered the room again, Bran lowered herself into Eila's chair. It was quick enough that the brothers hadn't been able to respond, but had taken just enough time to look as though she'd been sitting there for longer. Oh, that vile snake Bran…

Nur, taking command of the situation in a moment, hoisted Bran out of the chair and pressed Eila into it.

"I'm sure you'll excuse us, but I need to have a word with Lady Bran in private." The Queen growled before disappearing with Bran.

Fili was spitting out curses in the direction of the door, having stood to his feet with his hands clenched over the table. "Eila," He said gently, but firmly. "I need you to escort my brother to his room." His tone left no room for objections, either from her or Kili.

Nodding meekly, the brown-haired lass kept her eyes downcast but walked to alternate door in the room and waited for Kili to follow. He found he couldn't move under the weight of it all—the guilt at causing Eila pain, the disappointment he was certain his brother felt in him, the frustration that it had been Nur coming to Eila's rescue and not him, and the anger that Bran was able to stir up so much trouble.

But slowly he came to her, terrified at meeting Eila's gaze, though she kept her eyes down. They moved like ghosts through the doorway and down the dim hall, floating over the floor in silence and in the inward roil of fierce emotion.

After some time, Kili couldn't stand it and peeked at her, shuddering when he saw that far-away look in her eyes, and he dared for the second time that night to reach for her hand. This time he caught it, but she recoiled and held her breath.

No, he told himself, he'd had enough. Kili refused to be timid anymore that night and grabbed for her hand again, trying to turn her around to face him. Eila gasped and turned her head away from him, even when he took her by the shoulders and looked down at her.

"Eila, I'm sorry." He ground out, hands shaking as he gave her shoulders a squeeze. "I'm so sorry."

"Am I plain?" Eila whimpered in a weak voice.

Kili's eyes became wide. "What? What did you say?"

"Am I plain to look at?" Eila finally turned her head up to face him. He could see the workings of tears in her eyes. "Do I please you?"

"Eila," Kili hated the way her name sounded like a reprimand, but he didn't know how to answer such a question. "Of course you please me! No, you're not plain—why would you ask me that?"

Biting her lower lip, Eila started to shake under his hold. "You didn't pick me—I would understand—the council required you to marry—and then you found out about the scars and my father—and I'm not as beautiful as Br—"

"Don't!" Kili nearly shouted in her face, and he lowered his voice immediately. "Don't you dare say it! I won't have you comparing yourself to that blight on Durin's ground. Do you hear me? Don't you _ever _say that again." Eila was looking up at him with something akin to fear and Kili groaned, pulling her to his chest and cradling her with his arms. "Please. I'm sorry—Please, don't think that. Please, promise me you won't compare yourself to her."

Eila was trembling in his arms. "I promise," came her wavering voice. "Nur said that she thought I was strong, but I'm not. I should be resisting Bran's words, but I'm cowering in your arms instead."

"You're not a coward." Kili growled into Eila's hair. "And you _are_ strong."

"Kili?" She looked at him with such vulnerability that it pierced his heart painfully. "Please, tell me the truth. Do… do you love me?"

"Eila," He moaned, squeezing his eyes shut and denying the wetness packing into the corners of them.

"Don't tell me what I want to hear. You can tell me that you don't." She said in a tone that had suddenly become numb-sounding.

Kili was beginning to feel faint as his legs started to buckle. Falling onto his knees in front of Eila, Kili gripped at her skirts with white knuckles, overwhelmed with exhaustion. It was difficult to breathe and his legs had abandoned him, but Kili wound his arms around Eila's hips and pressed his forehead against her belly. "Mahal, help me, but I love you more than my own life. If you asked me to leave everything—Erebor, my brother, my title—I would gladly do it. I love you, Eila."

She grasped for his hands and pulled them away from her waist and he thought that she meant to run away from him, but then Eila knelt down and moved her arms underneath his, pulling herself into his hold and crying softly into his chest.

Kili couldn't help the sigh of relief that left his lips and he ran his fingers soothingly at the back of Eila's hair. She knew he wasn't lying—Eila believed him when he told her he loved her.

"She won't bother you anymore." Kili promised, his anger finally winning out over his guilt. "I'll make sure of it."

"I'm not worried about myself." Eila whispered. "Kili?"

"Hm?"

Eila pulled her head away from his chest and looked at him with drooping lids. "I'm cold."

Slipping one arm under her knee and another arm around her waist, Kili gathered his wife into his arms and pulled her close against him, heading for the royal quarters.

"I'm heavy." Eila murmured into his chest, half-heartedly. "You don't have to carry me."

"You're not heavy." Kili answered back with a kiss to her forehead. Truly, she wasn't. He could have flung her over his shoulder and carried her up and down the staircases for hours with ease, but Kili was sure she wouldn't appreciate that. "Almost there."

Once in their bedchamber, Kili had been helping her into bedclothes when she'd insisted that there was only one way for a husband to properly warm a cold wife—and he'd made no objection.

A sleepy and sated sigh escaped Eila's mouth as her head rested against Kili's bare shoulder and he turned his head for one final look at his wife before drifting into slumber himself.

The torches and candles sat lifeless and the fireplace was empty—the only light coming from the window. Moonlight poured out over the bed and illuminated the pale flesh of Eila's soft body alongside his, and he wondered if he had ever seen anything so lovely or so comforting in all of his life. If Bran was a worldly beauty then Eila was ethereal! The rolling of her brown, wavy hair billowed out behind her and the flush of her cheeks and lips lent color to her smooth face. It was a treasure to be witness to so picturesque a moment and it gave Kili resolve.

Come morning, either Bran was leaving the mountain or Kili and Eila were going for a holiday until the awful Lady left. And Kili was certain that his brother would ensure the first option before the second.

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**_Another great song for this chapter is "Give Me Love" by Ed Sheeran, but I don't like_**

**_recommending listening music for reading when it has lyrics._**

**_I missed Saturday's upload (and technically Sunday's), but I hope this chapter makes up for it._**

**_Probably won't have an upload for Monday, but if not, then definitely Tuesday!_**

**_._**

**Want a **Kili and OC **humorous parody? **Try HOW TO WRECK A MARY SUE****

**Kili and Danika are tired of being pushed around in fan fiction stories and make a pact to defy writer's prompts, but do they have any idea what will happen if they don't play by the rules? Guest appearances from Luna Lovegood, The Doctor, Sherlock, and others!**

**.**

**Want some****Kili/Tauriel romance/adventure? Try STARS AND HAMMERS**

**Fluff, Drama, Romance, Hurt/Comfort - This is a compilation of one-shots following Kili and Tauriel's one-year adventure as they accompany Bilbo back to The Shire (after the Battle of Five Armies) and then return to Erebor.**

.

**Want some Fili/OC romance/adventure? Try ****GOLD AND FIRE**

**Fili and Nur marry in secret just before he leaves for Erebor, but what is a lonely wife to do while her husband is braving life and death for their future? Covers the Battle of Five Armies and afterward.****Explanations for some of the actions within the movies as well as some behind the scenes! A sequel to GEMS AND POISON**

**.**

**Want some Thorin/OC romance/angst?****Try ****JEWELS AND DAGGERS**

**Just as Thorin becomes engaged to be married, the dragon attacks Erebor and all is thrown into chaos! Men with wicked intent take captive some of the wandering dwarves- will Thorin, Frerin, and Dwalin be able to rescue the enslaved dwarves, including Runa, Thorin's beloved?**

**.**


	15. Chapter 15 - Wreck

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**THE COURTSHIP OF THE SPARROW-HAWK**

**Chapter 15 – Wreck**

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"_**Ribbon" Billie Marten**_

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King Fili was settling into the warm coverlet with his wife, shivering away the last traces of cold as the large, ornately etched woodstove gave off enough heat to fill the room quickly. But the eyes that were glaring at him from the pillow beside his were cold—the woodstove couldn't solve that problem. Only he could.

"All right, my heart," Fili grunted, lying back against the mattress and exhaling the deep breath he'd taken in. "You've been quiet, which means you're thinking—and I have ears to listen, if you've decided on what you're going to say."

"You know me too well," Queen Nur halfway grinned, propping her head up with her hand as her elbow pressed against the pillow, lying on her side to face him. He didn't have to see her face to see that some of her anger had already ebbed. "Bran is a bother. You knew that before she entered the mountain and then said nothing when she practically demanded to be invited to dinner. And then you were nothing but courteous as she shamed your brother and his new wife."

Fili tilted his head and was about to speak, but Nur pressed a fingers to his lips and kept speaking. "Anyone else might think it was cowardly of you or uncaring. But I saw that look in your eye—you had a purpose to it. I'm only frustrated that you didn't share your thoughts with me before the dinner."

Sighing and grasping Nur's hand, he brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them, his features succumbing to the weight of all that had happened. "My love," He said softly. "It gives me courage to know that you had faith in me. Yes, I had a purpose. But I wasn't sure how the dinner would play out—how much Bran would reveal and how much she would keep back."

Stretching himself for a moment before inching closer to his wife and locking his legs between hers, Fili pressed a firm kiss to her forehead before wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Her lawmen contacted ours about a week ago—so, no, I wasn't surprised to see her here. There was something about a contract dispute, but they mentioned nothing of importance and so I didn't think anything of it. I had wondered if she would mention it this evening at the dinner and wanted to give her an opportunity, but she clearly had one thing on her mind."

Nur rolled her eyes and Fili snorted a little laugh, nuzzling her neck and closing his heavy eyelids. "She's scheduled an audience tomorrow morning, so I'm sure we'll get to the heart of the matter, then, but I promise you that I have no intention of letting her waltz around our home. Bran stirs up enough trouble just being here, but when that awful creature opens her mouth…" Fili feigned a gag.

He could feel Nur nodding in agreement and he was half-asleep, having snuggled into Nur's soft, warm flesh and having sunk into the plush mattress, when Nur cleared her throat and tapped at his back.

"Did you really mean what you said about having her dig out a fifth level of the dungeons with her bare hands?"

Fili chuckled, a deep sound at the back of his throat. "Only if she really means what she said to you about the royalty of Erebor needing 'escorts'. But I won't be called unkind—we'll gift her with a rusted shovel to spare her hands."

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"_**Zion (Instrumental)" Kings Kaleidoscope**_

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Kili was dreading leaving the bed, but the sun was already peeking through the window, causing him to groan.

"What's wrong?" A small voice came from beside his chest. Picking up the edge of the blanket, he peered underneath it to find the small body of his wife curled into his side, her small hands clutching around his waist. She looked like a baby kitten, he mused, snuggling him like a rounded ball.

"Nothing. Sun was in my eyes."

"Mm." Eila grunted. "Come under here with me. It's safe."

All too willing to comply, Kili shoved his feet further down and wrapped himself around Eila's petite form. Peppering her shoulder with kisses, he narrowly avoided the swat of her hand.

"Your beard tickles," She giggled, turning herself over and scooting backward so that he spooned against her. It was an unexpected movement, but he grinned to himself when she turned her head and looked over her shoulder at him with a wry smile. Oh, Mahal, that temptress knew what she was up to!

Kili was about to move his hands lower down her back when a demanding knock sounded at the bedchamber door. A snarl and a curse left Kili's lips and he pulled the blankets down and away from his head only long enough to shout, "I'm not here!" before ducking his head beneath the coverlet again.

But whomever it was knocking at the door did not seem to hear him or had ignored the obvious plea for more time and became more insistent.

Eila had turned to face him and blushed heavily when he uttered a string of indecent words, her hands shooting up to cover her mouth in embarrassment. Her innocence to such language only endeared her to him more and he apologized quickly, leaning to kiss her forehead before jumping out of bed.

"Really, I _am_ sorry. Just take it as a compliment." He said, letting his eyes graze over her beautiful, pale body as he dressed.

"A compliment?" She squeaked, sitting up and clutching the blankets to her chest.

Kili nodded, pulling his boots on and smiling mischievously. "Yes. Proof of how much I'd rather be here with you."

Eila's cheeks swelled with blush and she ducked her head shyly, melting Kili's heart and making him groan again. Did she have any idea just how desirable she was to him?

Those were the thoughts that followed him as he made his way from the royal chambers to his private study, where he'd been scheduled to speak to someone about something that somehow, someway… well, he'd completely forgotten what the chamberlain had said, having walked on clouds all the way there. But even as his thoughts were on his wife, the face that greeted him in his library killed his happy spirits.

"Prince Kili," Lady Bran said with a low curtsy, lower than was necessary for the buxom lass.

* * *

"_**Wreck" Mieka Pauley**_

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"What the hell do you want?" Kili growled, sitting slowly in the chair behind his desk.

"Oh, sweetheart, that's not very cordial." Bran tutted, clearly enjoying his discomfort as she walked slowly back and forth in front of his desk.

"It's more than you deserve."

"Why are you so uneasy, sweetheart?" Bran said with mock-concern.

"I don't want _you_ in here." Kili muttered. True, his private library was small and oftentimes cluttered, but it was one of his sanctuaries and just her presence in the room seemed to defile it in some way.

"You can have me somewhere else, if you prefer." She winked.

Clenching his trembling fists, Kili scowled at the lass with the red lips. He had never struck a female before, but he was coming close to it now. "I'd rather let the pale orc, Azog, cut off my—"

"Perhaps you should read this." Bran giggled, picking up a paper from Kili's desk and leaning over the surface to press it against the dark-haired dwarf's tunic.

Kili's brow crumpled and he snatched the paper from Bran's hands, reading its contents. "What is…? This is—"

"The marriage contract you signed just before you left the Blue Mountains with Thorin." Bran said with a sweetness that made Kili's stomach sour.

"No," Kili shook his head, recognition smoothing out the angry wrinkles into confusion. "No, that's not possible—you burned it! You didn't want me!"

"Well, now, _that's_ not true," Bran pouted as if hurt by his words. "I've _always_ wanted you—"

"You said that I was an ugly prospect of a dying branch from an inferior bloodline—"

"This," Bran pressed a finger to the paper in his hands, "has been looked over by law experts from both Erebor and Ered Luin." And inching dangerously close to Kili's face, as though intending to kiss him, Bran added, "and I'd be willing to withdraw my legal actions against you if you're willing to do a little something for me." The way her fingers tugged at the paper made her meaning perfectly clear to him and he came close to striking out at her.

"I will _not_ take on a mistress just to avoid being wrongfully accused of breaching a contract." Kili snarled, sitting back in his chair and gripping the arms of it. "And you seem to forget that I am very much married, making your lawsuit irrelevant." Crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes at the lass, he pressed his lips into a line. "I love my wife—"

"She's not legally your wife." Bran cocked her head to the side and grinned. "The same experts who looked over this document are, at this moment, combing through their law books to determine how to annul—"

Bran's words stopped with her breath as Kili's gloved hand reached out and clenched around her throat.

"You evil witch." Kili said through gritted teeth. "You're going to leave Eila out of this! You're going to leave her alone!"

"Kili!" A voice called from the doorway—Fili stared at them in shock.

Releasing his fingers from Bran's throat, Kili watched the lass rub at the reddened skin of her neck, before putting on an expression of indifference.

"You might want to reconsider my offer," She said with a small lick to her lips, as though completely forgetting that he'd come close to strangling her. "before I speak to your King about this."

"Do what you will, but I will _never_ betray Eila." Kili spat. Understanding dawned in King Fili's eyes and his hardened glare was enough to cause Bran to display a little of her fear.

But then her mask of seduction concealed it once more and she strode past Kili, but not before whispering, "Never say never."

* * *

_**.**_

* * *

_**To all my lovely readers—updates will be sketchy for the next week and a half. The military pretty much said, "So, you've got five days to pack yourselves up and leave." Um, thanks. It doesn't mean I won't be writing, it just means I'll be scatter-brained and I'll be worrying over whether or not a chapter is good enough for an upload.**_

_**In response to reviews:**_

_**Celebrisilweth: You and me both! That dwarf-woman needs to have the fear of Mahal scared into her!**_

_**Aranel Mereneth: Thank you! :) Hopefully a healthy addiction ;)**_

_**Guest: Update? Hahahaha! By the skin of my teeth, as always!**_

_**Karebear119: Tell me about it- there are just some stories where they're like, "well, we have to be nice, even if they're not going to be." and I'm sitting back and thinking, "What the what? Um, no, this is fiction, you can do whatever you want." Therefore, I don't feel even a little guilty about fitting in a slap at the beginning of their meeting :)**_

_**tygrislily: Hopefully I answered your questions, and, yes, I think a little Nur/Eila training would be appropriate right about now**_

_**megan98: I hope you're liking it so far!**_

_**.**_

**Want a **Kili and OC **humorous parody? **Try HOW TO WRECK A MARY SUE****

**Kili and Danika are tired of being pushed around in fan fiction stories and make a pact to defy writer's prompts, but do they have any idea what will happen if they don't play by the rules? Guest appearances from Luna Lovegood, The Doctor, Sherlock, and others!**

**.**

**Want some****Kili/Tauriel romance/adventure? Try STARS AND HAMMERS**

**Fluff, Drama, Romance, Hurt/Comfort - This is a compilation of one-shots following Kili and Tauriel's one-year adventure as they accompany Bilbo back to The Shire (after the Battle of Five Armies) and then return to Erebor.**

.

**Want some Fili/OC romance/adventure? Try ****GOLD AND FIRE**

**Fili and Nur marry in secret just before he leaves for Erebor, but what is a lonely wife to do while her husband is braving life and death for their future? Covers the Battle of Five Armies and afterward.****Explanations for some of the actions within the movies as well as some behind the scenes! A sequel to GEMS AND POISON**

**.**

**Want some Thorin/OC romance/angst?****Try ****JEWELS AND DAGGERS**

**Just as Thorin becomes engaged to be married, the dragon attacks Erebor and all is thrown into chaos! Men with wicked intent take captive some of the wandering dwarves- will Thorin, Frerin, and Dwalin be able to rescue the enslaved dwarves, including Runa, Thorin's beloved?**


	16. Chapter 16 - Legalities

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**THE COURTSHIP OF THE SPARROW-HAWK**

**Chapter 16 – Legalities**

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* * *

"_**Ticking Bomb" Aloe Blacc**_

* * *

Kili couldn't keep his hands from shaking as he entered the council-room with his brother. He knew it didn't make any difference what they said—Eila was his wife and nothing would change that. But what if the council pushed Fili into a legal corner that he couldn't, even as King, back out of? What would Kili do then?

A hush fell over the small crowd of grey and white bearded dwarves at the approach of their King and Prince. Kili's eyes flitted over the familiar faces and read their expressions: confusion, sympathy, scolding, indifferent, and angry. So, Bran had already told them…

"I need to make one thing clear," King Fili said in a protective and authoritative tone, standing at the head of the long council table. "This is a legal dispute and the initiator holds specific legal rights, but I do not have to honor her with anything more than that." Inclining his head in Bran's direction, he narrowed his eyes at her with a glare Kili knew to be filled with loathing. "And it is my command that she take up residence in Dale while the proceedings take place."

Bran's mischievous smile drooped into a shocked frowned. Kili thought he saw some scheming look in her eye and then her demeanor changed into 'victim' rapidly.

"Have reason, my lord," Bran pleaded in a weak voice. "Since the death of my father, I have only limited resources—the cost of traveling between here and Dale, the expense of Inns—"

"I will cover the cost of your lodgings and expenses," Fili said with a raised brow, lowering himself into his marble chair and motioning for Kili to sit in the chair beside him. Bran's face dawned a smug look of satisfaction until Fili added, "but I will also choose the Inn and method of travel."

A choking sound made its way up Kili's throat and he coughed into his hand, stifling a laugh. Knowing Fili and how low he regarded Bran, it wouldn't be beyond him to make her stay at the poorest tavern room and be driven to Erebor in the back of a goat cart. The seductive lady-dwarf deflated a little after the comment, but held her chin up high and listened as the council began to speak.

A lot of what they said was about Ered Luin and the marriage customs there— apparently Erebor law differed and Ered Luin was much stricter and less open for debate—but Kili listened to very little of it. At least, until someone directly spoke to him.

"Prince Kili," An aging council-member, Gar, croaked. "You were part of the company of Thorin Oakenshield and from the line of Durin, making you a subject of Erebor law."

Kili inwardly sighed in relief.

"But," Gar raised a finger, causing Kili's heart to drop. "We cannot disregard that your actions—becoming engaged to a dwarf of nobility—were done in Ered Luin, _before_ Erebor law was established."

Kili rose to his feet and slammed his hands on the table. "That's absurd! Lady Bran accepted that we were no longer engaged—she burnt the papers, according to custom! There were witnesses—"

"I did no such thing." Lady Bran laid a hand over her heart, mouth open in false despair. "I have kept myself faithful to you all this time and loved no other—you are my One!"

Not a few of the councilmembers pinned Kili with accusation in their eyes. Kili's jaw dropped and he looked to Fili for help, startled by the passive look on his brother's face. No, Kili realized, not passive—calculating.

"I was there." King Fili said as though the entire affair was boring him, though Kili recognized that his brother was fighting to keep his temper under control. "I was witness to the burning. And would you call the King Under the Mountain a liar?"

Bran's jaw snapped shut and she looked around, obviously weighing the support she might have just lost.

"No one is suggesting that our lord and King is a liar." One of Bran's lawyers said. "But we have a document bearing the seal of the King of Ered Luin and a dwarrowdam who claims to have found her One. We would be very poor keepers of the law if we ignored these things."

"Indeed," Kili nodded. "And yet, it changes nothing."

All heads turned to face Kili.

"If you believe the contract is real and that Lady Bran's claims are true, then there are only two things the Lady has come here for: compensation or marriage." Kili took a short breath to settle himself and did his best not to look at Bran.

"Only my brother can handle the matter of compensation, but the matter of marriage is for me, and I say this," And then he glared at them all, "I love my wife and she loves me. Eila is my One, without a doubt. If you attempt to annul our marriage, I will step down as Prince of Erebor—"

"You are of the line of Durin!" A grey-bearded dwarf shouted, rising to his feet. "You cannot '_step down'_ from carrying Durin's blood!"

"_I will step down_," Kili repeated in a louder voice, "and leave Erebor with Eila."

The council room erupted and all of the dwarves took to their feet, voices raised against each other in heated exclamations—all but Fili, who looked serene despite the chaos surrounding them, and Kili, who sat down again.

It was strange, but Kili actually felt relief. The worst could happen—the council's demand that he leave his wife and marry Bran—and still he could stay with Eila. He could leave Erebor. A hand squeezed Kili's elbow and he turned to see his brother looking at him with sympathy.

"You know it will not come to that," Fili said calmly to him, but somehow Kili was still able to hear it in the midst of the yelling.

"Perhaps not." Kili nodded, a pain running through his heart at the thought of leaving Fili's side. "I'm sorry, though, if—"

"Don't apologize for things that haven't happened." Fili warned sternly and Kili could see that his brother was dreading the thought of separating from him as well. Suddenly, Fili rose from his seat and, keeping a comforting hand on Kili's shoulder, called the council to order.

"My brother has made his declarations. Perhaps Lady Bran would like some time to consider her demands before she presses on."

A quick nod from Lady Bran told Kili that her case was not as strong as she previously thought and he wondered what other tricks she might have up her sleeve.

* * *

"_**Hunger of the Pine" alt-J**_

* * *

Bran pouted as she left the council room. Things had not gone according to plan and her mind was working furiously to compensate. She had always been quick to adapt and already she was making mental notes of the resources at her disposal as well as the structure of the royal family's relationships.

King Fili would not easily bend, but he might do her a favor if it were obligatory. Queen Nur was someone who also knew strategy and could probably sense the way Bran was trying to manipulate the ties between them—as well as the painfully obvious fact that the dwarrow was a warrior and short-tempered. No need for Bran to work her mental powers there, she was liable to get killed in the process.

Kili was heavily emotional in his decisions, but would not sway in the direction she goaded him—and that left Eila. Sweet, sensitive, weak, ugly Eila. Yes, Eila had struck her, but it was nothing in comparison to what Nur would have done in the same situation. And Eila could be easily affected…

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" A dwarf-woman gasped as she bumped into Bran. It was Eila. How perfect.

Eila's eyes went wide. "Lady Bran." She did a small curtsy and pressed her lips together in a line.

"Princess Eila," Bran bowed with her hand over her heart, smiling and turning on the charm. "My lady, I must apologize for our first meeting. If I had known you were the Prince's wife, I wouldn't have dreamed of kissing him."

While waiting for bluntness of her words to affect Eila, Bran was frustrated when the Princess's face was completely blank, making no answer. Finally, Eila let out a short breath and cocked an eyebrow at Bran, proving that the "princess" didn't seem to believe her. Time for a new tactic.

"I very much wish that we could be friends," Bran said with a sigh as she lowered her head. "I see so much in you that I admire." Bran was laughing inwardly at the lie—what could Eila possibly have and be that was superior to her? "And it pains me that Prince Kili doesn't see it."

Eila looked confused, but she remained silent. Bran was aware that she was throwing empty darts, but she was trying to make Eila uneasy, a perfect planting ground for the seeds of doubt Bran wanted to plant. Any emotional response would do, but the brown-haired dwarrow-woman refused to cooperate.

"I wish I were not the one to have to say this, but I thought it best… well, I wanted to be kind to you." Bran adopted a look of sympathy and reached to touch Eila's shoulder soothingly. She explained the meeting with King Fili and his councilors in a manner one might use for a child that cannot understand the workings of adults, all the while emitting Kili's outburst and bending truths to inform Eila that within the month their marriage would be annulled and a ceremony for Bran and Kili would be taking place.

Standing in silence, Eila's face was increasingly difficult to read, but Bran was enjoying tormenting her and imagined that the "princess" was harboring some inner turmoil she wouldn't show outwardly. But Bran _would_ have her satisfaction—she would make the dwarf-woman break! The workings of her counterplan demanded it: a broken Eila meant she wouldn't fight against what the council demanded; council votes were easily bought and Bran had fortune enough to bribe more than half the dwarves; and after Kili had so foolishly threatened to leave, the council would be guarding him like a hawk… it was all coming together. All except the breaking, which Bran began to work on.

"We might have gone too far this morning," Bran snickered into her sleeve, fingers over her mouth as though she were embarrassed to admit her adultery. Which she wouldn't be, even if what she said was true. "A sort of pre-celebration. You should have heard the naughty things he said in my ear—"

"Kili doesn't talk." Eila interrupted, traces of anguish on her features. Yes—it was working!

Did she mean that Kili didn't talk while making love? An easy fact to turn around. "Maybe he doesn't while he's with you, but he certainly did with me. I wonder if that says anything about how much he favors me over you."

"He couldn't have been with you, he had an appointment in his study." Eila said, but with enough traces of sadness in her voice that it pleased Bran.

"Sweetheart, _I_ was the appointment." Bran laughed. "You can check with the chamberlain. The Prince seemed to be in a hurry to get there, too." She winked. Eila continued to stare sadly at her, but Bran was certain she saw the beginning of some raw, hurt emotion there and decided to fan the flames.

"What scent do you wear, my dear?" Bran crossed her arms and sent her a conceited smile.

"Scent?"

"Surely, you must use some kind of scented oil on yourself?"

"Er," Eila shook her head in confusion for a moment. "Jasmine. Why?"

"Well, I wear olive and rose, my dear," Bran held out her arm, as if to let Eila smell it. The Princess only sneered at Bran, though Bran was certain she could smell it. "And if you had any doubts about this morning, or about your so-called husband, you should sniff around—"

Click! Something in Bran's jaw made a loud noise and Bran found herself staring at the ceiling with her backside on the floor.

"Now you smell like olive, roses, and blood." Eila sneered, rubbing at the knuckles on her hand as she strode away.

.

* * *

_We had a successful move and are settled enough for me to write again :)_

_It was so hard for me to write from Bran's perspective—but I had to put some doubt as to whether or not Eila was being affected by Bran's words. Clearly, the end proves that it didn't have the affect Bran wanted. More soon! Not sure when, but hoping tomorrow or the next day_

_._

_Addressing reviews:_

"_**Guest":**__ I'm so glad you love it!_

_**Aranel Mereneth**__: Family bonding is coming, I promise! ;)_

"_**Guest":**__ Don't you worry, Bran will get what's coming to her!_

_**Celebrisilwelth**__: Oh, I'm pretty sure there are lots of "accidents" that could happen to Bran, but hopefully you'll enjoy the justice that I promise will be doled out._

_**Tygrislily**__: I think death would be too sweet for Bran, I've got something else planned for her._

_**Nenithiel**__: The best for Eila and Kili is coming ;)_


	17. Chapter 17 - Pity

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**THE COURTSHIP OF THE SPARROW-HAWK**

_**Chapter 17 – Pity**_

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* * *

"_**Willow" Jasmine Thompson**_

* * *

As Eila stood and listened to Bran's tauntings—including the threat of a legal divorce, allowing the Lady to marry Prince Kili—Eila was surprised to find that she didn't hate Bran as much as she had earlier that morning.

She _pitied_ her.

_This poor creature_, Eila thought, _probably feels it necessary to manipulate relationships because she doesn't know love. _Eila even began to feel as though she could forgive Bran for everything the temptress was trying to accomplish, until Bran began to sharpen her words against Kili.

"We might have gone too far this morning," Bran snickered into her sleeve. Anger tentatively poked at Eila's heart, as though asking for permission to blow from a flicker to a bonfire.

_No_, she told herself_, remember what Nur said: use what truths you know to combat Bran's attacks._

"A sort of pre-celebration. You should have heard the naughty things he said in my ear—"

Though Kili was very vocal in their intimacy, Eila would hardly call his noises_ words_. "Kili doesn't talk."

"Maybe he doesn't while he's with_ you_, but he certainly did with _me_. I wonder if that says anything about how much he favors me over you."

It was such a cheap blow that Eila barely registered it, again regarding Bran with pity because the dwarf-woman thought she could rile Eila with such words. What was Bran trying to accomplish? Didn't she could see that there was no doubt or insecurity lingering in Eila's mind?

"He couldn't have been with you, he had an appointment in his study." Eila said, hoping Bran would take the hint that the Lady's attacks weren't working.

"Sweetheart, _I_ was the appointment." Bran laughed. "You can check with the chamberlain. The Prince seemed to be in a hurry to get there, too." She winked. "What scent do you wear, my dear?"

"Scent?" Eila's eyebrows rose. What in the world could this dwarrowdam be getting at?

"Surely, you must use some kind of scented oil on yourself?"

"Er," Eila shook her head in confusion for a moment. "Jasmine. Why?"

"Well,_ I_ wear olive and rose, my dear," Bran held out her arm. "And if you had any doubts about this morning, or about your so-called husband, you should sniff around—"

Out of all the things that would enrage Eila, '_so-called husband'_ seemed to be the comment that made her self-control snap. That weakly burning fire of a temper did not wait to ask for permission this time, but blazed and took hold of her instincts, causing her clenched fist to fly out at Bran's nose.

The dwarf-woman was instantly knocked onto her backside, a trickle of red beginning to flow from one nostril as a look of surprise erupted on her face.

"_Now_ you smell like olive, roses, and_ blood_." Eila sneered, rubbing at the knuckles on her hand as she strode away, heading toward the council-room she had been summoned to.

_Ouch_. Her knuckles stung and she expected to feel some kind of satisfaction in having hit Bran again, but to her disappointment, she felt… well, like she should be reprimanded for such behavior. Hitting Bran had not made her feel better, but had reminded her that Eila should have shown compassion to the poor monster. Eila no longer saw Bran as a threat, but a forgotten child who was misbehaving in an attempt to get some attention.

Opening the double-doors to the council-room, Eila stood still as all eyes fell on her.

"Eila," She heard to her left, and turned her head to see Kili approaching her with a look of shame and guilt. "Eila, come with me." He didn't give the council an opportunity to speak, but grabbed Eila's hand and escorted her from the room.

Eila was beginning to wonder where they were going when it dawned on her that Kili wasn't heading for anywhere specific, he just wanted to get away from that room.

* * *

"_**A Thousand Years" The Piano Guys**_

* * *

Kili tried to read his wife's face as they walked arm-in-arm to his personal study room, but she gave no indication of anything other than peace. When at last they reached and passed into the small library, he grimaced as he shut the door—Mahal, how was he even supposed to start?

"Why does it smell like olive and rose in here?" Eila asked with a slight wrinkle of her nose.

"I sharpened and oiled my blades this morning," Kili said with a cocked eyebrow. "I'm sorry, the smell can be a bit overwhelming, but the rose offsets the olive—"

Eila swiftly caught up his hand and sniffed at his fingertips before fixing him with a quizzical expression. The action startled him, but not nearly as much as when she next leaned her head toward his neck to smell him with short, inhaling breaths. Strange as her behavior was, he crossed his arms and sent her an amused smile, waiting for her to explain herself.

"Have you always used olive and rose on your swords?" Eila asked, a portion of seriousness leaving her face as she looked up into his eyes.

He nodded. "Fili prefers a nutmeg concoction and I use what my uncle Thorin used. May Mahal guide his soul safely to the halls of waiting, it reminds me of him even now."

A satisfied smile spread over his beloved's lips and Kili was so caught up in her blush that he had completely forgotten his purpose of bringing Eila there.

"Bran found me just before I appeared at the council-room." Eila said with something of a smirk.

Instantly, a jolt of protectiveness and anger seared through Kili's heart and his crossed arms dropped, as did his expression. "Did she say anything to you?"

"Oh, yes," Eila's eyes crinkled with laughter. "She detailed the events of your audience with the council this morning and informed me that not only would she be destroying our marriage and claiming you for herself, but had already claimed a," Eila cleared her throat melodramatically, "_victory_ of sorts with you this morning in this very study. And she encouraged me to use my nose to find the proof."

"How would it—"

"Lady Bran informed me that her perfume was olive and rose." Eila rolled her eyes. "I can smell it on your fingertips, but not on your neck, not that I really believed her in the first place. And now that you've told me why you use the oil—for your blades and in memory of your uncle—my opinion of her is even less."

The fury building up in Kili's middle was overwhelming and it must have shown because Eila laid a gentle hand on his shoulder and looked up into his eyes with compassion and kindness that bewildered him.

"She _won't_ get what she wants," Eila whispered in a calming voice, as though attempting to work against his temper. "She'll be gone within the week, I'm sure of it."

Kili's glare wasn't meant for Eila and he was certain she knew that, but he swallowed and tried to collect himself. "I told them it didn't matter—I told them that I would just as soon run away with you and give up my title than honor the contract that witch has somehow fabricated." Kili hoped Eila knew "them" referred to the council and she nodded in understanding, as well as a faint blush of pride. At least, he hoped that was pride. Had he done the right thing? By announcing his intentions so openly to them, would they make good on their final word of having him followed through the mountain to make sure he didn't run?

"_They_ are not the King." Eila reminded him softly. "Your brother wouldn't let anything like that happen to you."

Kili snorted. "No. You're right, he wouldn't." Cocking his head sideways at her and taking in her kind smile with a small one of his own, the Prince let out a slow sigh of relief. "Mahal has blessed me with a treasure—a wife who can read my fears and speak peace to them."

Lifting his arms, Kili rested his elbows on Eila's shoulders, and his hands clasped behind her neck as he gave her a cheeky half-grin. "I don't understand how you're being so patient."

Eila wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling herself closer and kissing Kili's nose before speaking again. "I don't have any control over what's happening, but I have faith—faith that King Fili is willing to keep you from harm, faith that Queen Nur's temper will bring justice, and faith that my wonderful husband tells me the truth when he tells me he loves me."

"I do," Kili breathed, clenching his eyes shut and pressing his forehead against hers. "Oh, Mahal, I love you so much."

"And I you." Eila smoothed a hand over his cheek.

* * *

_._

_I know, the chapter's pretty short, but I'm exhausted for the night. _

_Also, I hope there aren't any typos, but I hope you'll let me know if there are!_

_—and don't worry, Bran is getting what's coming to her!_

_._

_Response to Reviews:_

"_**Guest": **__Eila's definitely still learning, but I think it would be easy for anyone to stand up for themselves with Queen Nur giving them courage ;)_

_**Aranel Merenith: **__Oh, believe you me, I don't think Bran COULD come between them! As for death, I think that would be too sweet for Bran, so I hope you like the ending I've got in store for her ;)_

_**GoldenPrince: **__So there I was, just randomly checking my fan fic reviews when all of a sudden—BAM! Holy crap—how did I go up 13 reviews in one day? And then I read each and every one of them and nearly choked on my drink! You're so kind to have given every chapter a review! And for that, yes, you may most certainly ask me to write something based on a prompt!_

_**Shiningheart of ThunderClan:**__ You've followed my exact train of thought, clever reader! And you brought up some excellent points—we'll just have to wait and see how spot on your powers of predicting the future are ;)_

_**Celebrisilweth:**__ No, she's not having a good day at all! I don't think she knew what she was getting into—but do you really think that's going to stop her? _

_**Karebear 119:**__ It's actually really weird how much I enjoy writing Bran's character, I've never put so much thought into a villain before!_

_**Nenithiel:**__ Don't you worry—Eila's been talking quite a bit to Queen Nur, and Nur knows how to hold her own without a sweat!_

_**Diamondgirl647:**__ I like that! Can I use that as a new motto?_

_._

_**Coming Soon! **_**THE GOBLIN WARS**

**_Sauron has come against Erebor, wielding a terrible weapon: Kili, son of Dis! What losses will King Fili suffer in an effort to take his brother back? And even if Kili is saved, how will he live with the guilt of knowing all the pain he has inflicted on his loved ones?_**

**.**

**Want a **Kili and OC **humorous parody? **Try HOW TO WRECK A MARY SUE****

**Kili and Danika are tired of being pushed around in fan fiction stories and make a pact to defy writer's prompts, but do they have any idea what will happen if they don't play by the rules? Guest appearances from Luna Lovegood, The Doctor, Sherlock, and others!**

**.**

**Want some Kili/Tauriel romance/adventure? Try STARS AND HAMMERS**

_**Fluff, Drama, Romance, Hurt/Comfort - This is a compilation of one-shots following Kili and Tauriel's one-year adventure as they accompany Bilbo back to The Shire (after the Battle of Five Armies) and then return to Erebor.**_

**_._**

**Want some Fili/OC romance/adventure? Try ****GOLD AND FIRE**

_**Fili and Nur marry in secret just before he leaves for Erebor, but what is a lonely wife to do while her husband is braving life and death for their future? Covers the Battle of Five Armies and afterward.**_**_Explanations for some of the actions within the movies as well as some behind the scenes! A sequel to_ GEMS AND POISON**

**.**

**Want some Thorin/OC romance/angst? ****Try ****JEWELS AND DAGGERS**

_**Just as Thorin becomes engaged to be married, the dragon attacks Erebor and all is thrown into chaos! Men with wicked intent take captive some of the wandering dwarves- will Thorin, Frerin, and Dwalin be able to rescue the enslaved dwarves, including Runa, Thorin's beloved?**_

**.**


	18. Chapter 18 - Commitments

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**THE COURTSHIP OF THE SPARROW-HAWK**

_**Chapter 18 – Commitments**_

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* * *

It was days before the King's counselors requested an audience with the royal family—and in that time, Kili and Eila were content to keep to the privacy of their rooms. The outcome of the legal matter was irrelevant, Kili was determined to stand beside his beloved. What was truly at stake was where the happy couple would live out their days. With that being the most pressing question on his mind, Kili sought his brother for advice, but was startled by how difficult to find the dwarf made himself.

"Did you think he would sit idly by and let the courts decide your fate or your marriage?" Queen Nur answered after his fifth visit to his brother's office.

"He did once before," Kili said with no small amount of bitterness in his voice.

The Queen raised an eyebrow at him. "You're nervous. Don't let those nerves decide that your brother is to blame for your arranged marriage."

Kili shook his head, sighing in reluctance. "I know. I know. I handed that responsibility over to him, I'm aware." A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, and he added, "I wouldn't call it blame either. It'd be more like thanks."

"Ha!" Nur crossed her arms. "Your thanks would be misplaced…"

"My head is riddled with confusion," Kili shook his head again. "Thank you, Nur, for finding my One."

"You're welcome," She grinned with a bob of her head.

But the time for an audience with the King finally came and Eila gripped Kili's hands nervously, ducking behind him as much as she could manage while everyone stood around the table of the King's assembly table.

"This document is not fraudulent." King Fili held the paper above his head.

An eruption of low murmurs ran throughout the room.

"However," Fili raised a hand and all voices fell silent. "The signature_ is_."

Bran looked flabbergasted, hands fidgeting in front of her.

"And the date has been conveniently corrected after minor disrepair to the parchment." Fili held out the document to a dwarf in spectacles standing beside him.

"I am Grom," The dwarf said simply. "And I have been a lawyer for two hundred years in the Blue Mountains. I have inspected this document more than a few times and have come to the conclusion that the signature is a very well-done forgery."

"That's a lie!" Bran shouted, pointing her finger at the lawyer. "What a pathetic attempt to persuade—"

"The lawyer from the Blue Mountains is not finished!" Fili raised his voice at her, fixing her with wide eyes. "And if you will not keep your mouth shut in respect, then at least keep it shut so as not to condemn yourself to further charges of misconduct."

Bran's mouth snapped shut.

"But it is such a forgery as cannot be made except by one with a similar name," The lawyer went on as though he hadn't been interrupted. "And we have summoned a witness to attest to this. Come forward, lad."

The lawyer opened his hand to wave it toward the crowd and all eyes turned to see who would step forward.

"I am Kili." The red-headed dwarf, no older than ninety, stood tall. His handsome beard was plated and rested on a broad chest. "Son of Mali. And though my name is similar to the Prince's," He bowed low in Kili's direction, "it is only in written form. The pronunciation, however, is much different—Kaeli."

Kili felt Eila's hand squeeze his elbow and he released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in.

"This fine lass," Kaeli went on to say, inclining his head toward Bran, "approached me about a year ago to begin a courtship. I'm a man of trade, but I'm not ignorant of the desire to have a family. I had no idea where she'd gone off to, not until I was summoned here. Lady Bran has deceived herself into believing she could accomplish something much bigger than her abilities. I ask you to treat her with the same decency as any other subject who has been led astray," His kind words were not lost on the crowd and even Bran looked absolutely ashamed, "and forgive her misconduct by way of penance made in marriage."

"Do you mean to say," All heads turned to the speaking Grom, "that you still wish to marry this…" He obviously wanted to use a foul word, "_lass_?"

"Do you intend to charge her for the crime of forgery as well as the breaking of an oath?" Kaeli asked calmly.

All heads turned to King Fili, who shook his head. "If you will have her, then I see no reason not to _encourage_ her to fulfill her commitment to you."

Bran rose shakily to her feet, eyeing the red-headed Kaeli as though he were a servant of Morgoth come from the deepest pit to drag her down with him.

"Well, there you have it, Lady Bran." Fili crossed his arms, and Kili did not know how his brother was able to keep the smugness off of his face. "You have two choices. Either marry the honorable Kaeli and live out your days with him in the Blue Mountains, or else become a dung-shoveler in the service of Erebor's prisons." He sat down in his chair, ushering all others to sit as well. "It's your choice."

Kili and Eila had taken the cue to be seated along with the rest, but the shocked and mystified Bran stood where she was, biting her lip, eyes flitting between Fili and Kaeli.

Kaeli eyed her with gentleness and Kili immediately thought that the dwarf was too good for her.

"I will…" Bran curtseyed low, dropping her gaze to the floor. "I will go with my intended."

.

* * *

_I'm sorry, guys, I don't know where else to go with this. I had intended to draw it out, giving it some breathing space between different conflicts, but honestly… The Hobbit fandom has burned me and I don't have much umph for it anymore. It's not any of you—holy canoli! No way, ya'll are the nicest fans around—it's the __**movies**__. I was so disappointed by the last movie that it killed my creativity in this area._

_Now—That's not to say that I'm done with this story (heaven forbid! It's still got legs, so I intend to run a little longer) but I need help._

**_I need your help._**

_I need some happily ever after prompts—fluffy, happy, Eila/Kili, Fili/Nur ideas. All I need is a sentence and I can run with it. I promise, I'll give closure to this story, but like I said, I need help. _


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